Welcome to Julie's Class

June 15, 2008

What a fast paced and fun year! Enjoy your summer, I hope these words will help inspire your activities.

Behold

Above, above all
birds in the air
Below, below
all earth's flowers
Inland, inland
all forest trees
Seaward, seaward
all ocean fish
Sing out and say
Again the refrain
Behold this lovely world

-Mary Kawena Pukui

May 29, 2008

• This week we are talking about Jackson Pollack, the children will be using large paper and brushes outside to create works of art using his techniques. Please dress your child appropriately, we will be using washable paint but not all fabrics are forgiving.
• Grandparents day was a huge success, the children were so excited to help prepare the classroom for their guests that we ran out of scrub brushes. When the grandparents arrived the children went right to work showing off his/her individual skills with favorite materials.
• In preparation for the dance of the cosmos, we are talking about planets, stars, asteroids, galaxies, the bathroom not working on the space shuttle and anything else factual relating to space. The extended day students will be sharing research with the class about the roles they will play. 

May 15, 2008

• I never would have thought that so many children could enjoy eating asparagus! Cymbre brought in some roasted asparagus for everyone to try and all the children liked it and many asked for a second tasting. We also learned that asparagus takes three years to become established in a garden and we have some growing at school.
• We have been enjoying pineapple this week for snack. We are going to try to grow a pineapple plant by saving the tops and planting them in soil. I explained to the children (much to their disappointment) that the plant will not bare fruit because we do not live in a warm enough climate.
• The extended day children are beginning to do some research on the Universe. They will be asked their favorite planets, comets, asteroids, and moons, so we can begin to choose the parts of the Dance of the Cosmos. I can hardly believe this year is coming to a close! They are all so excited about this wonderful tradition and the part they get to play. 

May 8, 2008

• During group we looked at a cocoon that one of the children found while gardening at home. There is a lot of speculation about what type of butterfly or moth is resting inside. It is believed to be a sphinx moth, but time will tell. We also talked about what types of caterpillars turn into moths or butterflies. Jack asked what type of butterfly the wooly bear caterpillar becomes after pupation it is the Isabella Tiger Moth.
• Volcanoes are in the news. We talked about the recent eruption in Chile. This type of eruption sent ash for miles, no one was hurt, and there was no lava flow. The extended day students will be doing some research to find out what type of eruption this was and why there wasn't a lava flow.
• All of the children have made a special gift for Mother's Day. If your child doesn't come home with one, it will come home at the beginning of next week (sorry). Have a wonderful day with your children, each one is truly a joy and I am very fortunate to have them in our classroom. Happy Mother's Day! 

May 2, 2008

• The children learned that Michalangelo was a painter, sculptor, architect, and a poet. We talked about how he could imagine what was inside a piece of stone and then create it.
• We have been busy with preparations for our traditional May Day celebration. We have practiced our songs, made hats, baskets, and flowers in anticipation of all that spring brings.
• The outdoor garden bed has been "tilled" and now it is time for some plants. We will be examining different types of seeds and talking about the lenth of time it will take between planting and harvesting. I am hoping for some fresh salad before the end of the school year.

April 25, 2008

• The children celebrated Earth Day by making a pledge to help keep our earth clean. Each one had wonderful and creative ideas on how to accomplish this goal. We also helped to plant new trees along the red walkway, and planted seven seedlings along the school driveway. In the afternoon we were able to watch an elementary performance titled "the raccoon philosopher". The children enjoyed it so much , they wanted to see it again.
• We are learning a new song about May Day. The song follows the tune of London Bridge;

May Day's here with sun so bright,
sun so bright, sun so bright.
May day's here with sun so bright.
Hurray for May Day!

May Day's here with flowers in bloom,
flowers in bloom, flowers in bloom.
May day's here with flowers in bloom.
Hurray for May Day!

• I have been sharing riddles at lunch about things that I see on my way to school or while I run errands.  The other day on my way home I saw a fox, so I gave a few clues such as; It was an animal with four legs, fur, pointed muzzle, pointed ears, etc. The children enjoy trying to figure out what kind of animal it is and it keeps their minds focused on fact vs. fiction. 

April 17, 2008

• This week we have begun gardening projects. The children have been preparing the bed outside our classroom, turning the decomposing pumpkin into the soil, and finding many worms in the process! We will begin starting a few plants indoors then transplanting them outside when the weather is more predictable.
• As the weather warms up the children will have more opportunities to work outside on the patio. We will be using the outdoor spaces to work with larger art forms. I will let you know when we begin so if you child comes home with paint in their toes you'll know why!
• A student brought in his pet guinea pig. We talked about the care of this type of pet and what class of animal it belongs to. The children enjoyed it when the guinea pig ran around the perimeter of it's cage and had a carrot for a snack.

April 10, 2008

• Spring has finally arrived in our fair city! The bulbs that we planted inside during the month of December have begun to blossom and the children will learn how to preserve the bulbs for planting outside in the fall. We have begun taking walks throughout the gardens looking for each new sign of Spring. There are buds, bugs and sprouts that are "new life" and the children are having a wonderful time sharing their discoveries.
• In preparation for Earth Day, we are learning a new song. It is sung to tune of Eensy Weensy Spider;

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, words that we all know.
We have to save our planet so we can live and grow.
We might be only children but we will try, you'll see.
And we can save this planet, it starts with you and me!

• The extended day children enjoyed their mid-week field trip to Lars Hocksted at Central grade school. We watched a performance in which the actors used sign language to help tell the story. We learned new signs for line up, jump, run, umbrella, cry, laugh and many more. Ask your child to share some of these with your family especially, please and thank you. 

March 27, 2008

• In preparation for poetry month (April), we have been reading some poetry about nature and some humorous poetry by Myra Cohn Livingston. Soon your child may recite a rehearsed poem for your family, what a wonderful way for them to explore the English language.
• We tried a new citrus fruit this week, the Kumquat. I had never tried one before so it was also a new experience for me. A kumquat can be eaten whole or just the rind can be eaten. The rind is sweeter than the fruit and the fruit was quiet sour, an interesting contrast in a citrus fruit. Many of the children really enjoyed the entire fruit! Thank you Bryce for bringing these in for us to try!
• Enjoy your spring break and please have your child bring in vacation pictures of different places you visit or interesting things that you see during this week away from school. We have looked at pictures of red rocks from Arizona, they are red due to the iron oxide.

March 20, 2008

• The extended day group listened to two upper elementary students as they presented some of the work they have been doing in relation to our nation's history. We learned about the Washington Memorial and the ferris wheel at the Chicago world's fair. It was really wonderful to see the projects as well as hear the research that both students presented. The students were amazed to hear how tall both of these structures are/were.
• Rather than using the egg coloring kits, the students and I used cranberries, blueberries, tumeric, tea, spinach, and beets to color eggs. This process takes a bit longer, but the children were excited to see the results.
• The egg experiment has come to an end. The egg in the corn syrup became smaller, ask your child why this happened and what an egg with no shell feels like. 

March 13, 2008

• The children have been listening to the music of violinist Stass Pronin. He visited our school at the beginning of the month and the children have a better appreciation of this instrument and the skill that it takes to play. They are still talking about the many hours of the day he dedicates to practicing.
• Jaden Emerson's golden retriever puppy came to school this week. "Hooper" is being trained as a therapy dog and we were able to assist in his socialization. The children were also shown how to take care of a puppy; brushing its fur, brushing its teeth, and trimming its toenails. We were also able to pet the puppy and observe some of the simple commands he has already been practicing.
• The extended day children are listening to "Charlotte's Web," our current chapter is about Wilber's escape from his pen in Mr. Zuckerman's barn. We will be discussing what it would feel like if we had to live in a confined space. 

February 28, 2008

• This week the extended day students met with Officer Nichols from the State Police. He showed the children his "bat belt" which helps him to keep people safe. On this belt he has a walky talky, a baton, a pair of hand cuffs, pepper spray, bullets, and a gun. He also has a whistle and a key to the handcuffs. Officer Nichols talked about wearing seat-belts, never touching a gun, not eating something that might not be safe, and what are acceptable ways to touch (i.e. no hitting). He will return on Mondays for the next seven weeks to talk more in depth about some of the things mentioned and other topics of safety.
• "Nature is so amazing" was a comment that was shared at group while we were talking about the two types of bulbs that we are forcing on in the classroom. The foliage on both bulbs look the same, but the flowers that are blooming are different. We talked about these types of flowers being "cousins" in the same family. Next week we will begin talking about the different parts of the flower, and the important role each one has.
• The children enjoyed the elementary performance on Monday. They laughed the loudest when the actors fell down and froze. Ask your child what they liked the most about the performance. 

February 21, 2008

• This week I shared a true story with small groups of children about my cat and a opossum. Ask your what the cat did and what my son did with a broom. The children love stories and we are taking turns sharing true stories.
• We have begun preparations for playing a game, called the silence game. We sit in a group and make our bodies still, then our voices and I watch the clock. We have been able as a group to create silence of 30 seconds! We will be adding time as the weeks go. I'll keep you posted on our classroom progress.
• The extended day children have been making observations about an egg that we put in an enclosed jar of vinegar. The vinegar dissolves the calcium in the shell, just leaving the membrane. The egg expands as the vinegar is absorbed. Next week we will shrink the egg.

February 14, 2008

• The children are full of anticipation in regards to Valentine's day. Many of them have told me about making their cards and the pride they have in getting them prepared for all of their friends. We read a book about how Valentine's day can to be and the one child stated that Valentine was "a really kind man."
• We have been talking about violins this week and what it is that helps create the sound that the violin makes. The children are learning the parts of the violin and how some very special violins are passed down from one musician to another.
• The extended day children are learning the names of food in Spanish and will be sharing this new vocabulary with the younger children in our classroom. This is one of the many ways that the extended day children are able to be the "teacher." The younger children in the class are always excited to be asked to participate in a group with the "big kids."

February 7, 2008

• Chinese New Year was celebrated with the traditional dragon dance. The class then enjoyed a group snack of sticky rice, oranges, and fortune cookies. While eating we shared more facts about asian culture. In the future we will be practicing eating with chop sticks. I am happy that some of our classmates will be able to help out with this lesson.

• The children have been listening to the Beatles and learning some of the lyrics. Many of the children have their own favorites. You could ask your child which song they like the best. If your child's reply is a number, let me know and I can help with the title.
• We have begun decorating paper bags with rubber stamps, stickers, sparkles and anything else they can think of for embellishment, these will be used to bring your child's Valentines home next week. Please look for the Valentines guidelines handout to come home this week and let me know if you have any questions.
• This sunday is the school's Fitness Festival. Come and visit me in the greenhouse where I will be helping children plant bean seeds to take home!  

January 31, 2008

• The children are learning the hand signs for the alphabet song. It is such a fun time when we sit together in either a small or large group. They all have such concentrated looks on their faces as they are learning to move their fingers in different ways.
• We have begun talking about inventions, and have talked about the Wright brothers and their biplane. the children also had the opportunity to look at some of Leonardo da Vinci's drawing and explore his ideas for flight. Next week we will discuss the simple things that have been invented, that we use every day.
• In the afternoon the extended day children have been listening to "The Mouse and the Motorcycle", by Bev Cleary. Some of the children decide to get a head start on the work cycle by choosing to work quietly while I read aloud. Others choose to curl up on a mat and listen up close. 

January 24, 2008

• This week we read a Chinese folk tale entitled "The Magical Starfruit Tree" by Rosalind Wang. We also enjoyed tasting starfruit, and many of the children wished for a second taste. These fruits are available at local markets and are in season.
• Chinese new year celebrations will take place on February 7th this year. the extended day children are eager to do the Dragon dance and make lucky money packets for each child in the classroom. These will be distributed on the day of the dance.
• I would like to clarify our outdoor policy, I have shared misinformation with some families regarding this. We go outside every day unless the temperature is below zero. Please send snowpants, mittens and hats with your child every day. We make sure that your child is tucked and tied before we venture out and spend about 15 minutes on average outside. 

January 17, 2008

• The children got movin' on Monday during Mark and Deedee Alderman's musical performance. It was wonderful to watch your children during the music, as they experienced and experimented with moving to new rhythms.
• On Tuesday we talked about where animals go during the winter, some fly to warmer climates and some stay here. Where do they live during the winter when they stay here? We looked at a mouse nest that was found in a wood pile. It was constructed out of found materials in the area that the mouse was living. Ask your child what the mouse used to make its home.
• We are having interesting conversations about Picasso. The children are great at finding similarities and differences in his paintings. We are compairing his first paintings with some of his later works. 

January 10, 2008

• This week we have sampled the meat of a coconut. How is coconut milk made? What is the liquid inside the coconut called? Where do coconuts grow? There are two states in the US, ask your child which states coconuts grow in.
• In preparation for Martin Luther King day, we are reading "I Have a Dream." We are also learning or practicing a song about him.
• We have three new students in our classroom, Molly, Reese, and Kaden. Ask your child if they can remember the names of these new friends and what they like to do in the classroom. 

December 13, 2007

• We read the book Snow is Falling. We have learned how the snow helps animals and how it helps protect plants that rest during the winter. We have been talking about snow flakes and how unique they are. Ask your child how many sides a snowflake has.
• Cymbre Foster came to our room and shared some fun facts about a vegetable named Kohlrabi. This vegetable is a stem that grows close to the soil. It grows in three different colors white, green or purple. We all had a sampling of this, and many of the children voted yes, it's good.
• The extended day children have begun listening to the Mrs.Piggle Wiggle stories. Ask them about the show off cure, or the crybaby cure.

December 6, 2007

• We have been grinding oats into oatmeal, and the children have been enjoyed seeing the whole oats get flattened in the grain mill. They have also discovered flour making through the process of putting the flattened oats back through the mill a few more times. We will use the flour in some upcoming baking projects.
• In Spanish, the extended day students have begun practicing weather terminology.
• We have been busy practicing our holiday songs, the youngest children have added some enthusiastic voices to our songs this year.

November 29, 2007

• We have read the book titled VanGogh and The Sunflowers and will be exploring his works of art in the next few weeks.
• Pets are welcome to visit our classroom and this Wednesday we had a guinea pig visit for the day! The children enjoyed observing its behavior and sounds. I have a feeling that some children may want to add this item to their list for the holidays.
• The children have enjoyed watching the winter birds that visit our bird feeder outside the classroom window. What new food have we begun feeding the birds? 

November 20, 2007

• We read a book about the first Thanksgiving and then talked about how the first settlers to our country were helped by the Native Americans. What were some of the ways the settlers gathered food and knew what was safe to eat?
• As the holiday season is upon us, we will be discussing how to accept a gift with grace and courtesy. Ask your child to share this lesson with you and siblings. You might be surprised by the ways children create his/her our courtesy.
• Our harvest feast was great fun! Your children had a wonderful time and even went to serve themselves second helpings! Thank you for providing a great feast. Have a peaceful break.

November 15, 2007

Considering that we have two short weeks in a row, I will not be updating my page this week. Please make sure to stop by next Wednesday for a recap of both weeks. Thanks! 

November 8, 2007

• The extended day children learned about convection currents by doing a simple experiment with hot and cold water. The hot water molecules move around more than the cold water molecules. How could the children tell that the hot water was rising?
• In the classroom we have been making pancakes for snack, the job of "flipper" is reserved for extended day children for now. As children learn more cooking skills they will be able to have the role of flipper later in the school year.
• We have begun listening to a CD entitled Colors of the World. It contains musical selections from countries around the world. Ask your child if they have a favorite rhythm to share with your family. 

November 1, 2007

• The extended day group has been working with air propulsion. They have been making ballon rockets and discussing the results.
• We read a book titled "From Seed to Pumpkin," and learned that a pumpkin is really classified as a fruit, ask your child to explain why.
• We made a jack-o-lantern totem in our garden bed. The students will get to witness the decomposition of the pumpkins throughout the winter. They make a great compost. 

October 25, 2007

• This week we listened to music preformed on the electric piano, clarinet, and flute. The children enjoyed marching to Mozart when the piano sounded like a harpsichord.
• We have been reading about and collecting seeds. During our discussions we have also been learning the many ways that the seeds are distributed. They can get caught on clothing and fur, the wind can carry some seeds with built in parachutes, and some are dropped by flying friends.
• I brought in a pomegranate and each child was invited to try some. As was expected, some children enjoyed it, while others decided it was a tasting experience best not repeated.

October 18, 2007

• With Halloween just around the corner, we have been learning a new finger play. Here are the words: Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate. The first one said oh my it's getting late, the second one said there are witches in the air, the third one said but we don't care, the fourth one said let's run and run and run, the fifth one said it's halloween fun. Then ooooo went the wind and out went the lights and the five little pumpkins rolled out of sight!
• We are becoming more involved with food prep activities; such as grating cinnamon to go in the apple sauce, peeling coring and cuting the apples and letting it all simmer in the crock pot. We are going to try making some apple butter with extra apples. Yum!
• We have had discussions about twins since there are new babies at Elliana's house, and Jack has twin brothers, and Peter and Margaret are twins, and Trey and Cole are twins. We will be talking about the difference of twins 2 boys or 2 girls vs. 1 boy and 1 girl. 

October 11, 2007

• The garden is almost finished producing, we have three cucumbers to harvest and some zinnias. We will enjoy the cucumbers with snack this week.
• The children are enjoying preparing snack for the class to enjoy, cheese slicing is very popular right now.
• We have been reading a book about bees and what their jobs are. You could ask your child how they find the flowers for necter and how they get back home.

October 4, 2007

• The extended day children have been learning a new fall song:

Autumn leaves are turning, turning, turning.Autumn fires are burning, burning, burning.Days of in between,see the changing scene.Autumn is all around.

• We have been talking about harvesting and we sampled a cabasa melon grown by the elementary students. Our tomato plants have been added to the compost, but we are waiting to see how many cucumbers we are going to be able to harvest before the weather turns cooler.
• Chopin was seven years old when he began composing! We have been listening to his compositions and reading about his life. 

September 27, 2007

• Cymbre Foster came to our classroom to share information about eggplants.  The elementary children grew some this summer and they have been harvested.   They made a tasty snack for us to try called baba ganoush, many of the children tried and much to their surprise they found it yummy.
• Individual snack has begun in the classroom and the youngest children are enjoying this new independence.
• In Spanish the extended day children have been introducing themselves, counting to ten and practicing colors. This new vocabulary is very enticing to the youngest children. I often overhear them trying out the new words.

September 20. 2007

• This week the extended day children are teaching the younger children a new song they have learned with Stephanie.
• We have begun doing basic food prep. and some of the children are becoming expert banana mashers. Next week we will enjoy them in muffins.
• On Friday we will have a special guest visiting our classroom. His name is Dusty and he is one of my pets. Ask your child what type of animal he is and how he gets clean.

September 13, 2007

• Today the children enjoyed fresh from the garden cherry tomatoes and cucumber for group snack. Ask your child which was juicy and which was crunchy.
• Many in our class are eager to share things from home with the whole group. Please help your child to know if their object is from nature or if the photograph has a special story; by cuing your child, he/she will be able to explain what is being shown to the group.
• The extended day group is reading Matilda. They have noticed many differences in the book that aren't in the movie. The chapter we read today had to do with superglue.