June 15, 2008
What a great school year and now it's time to enjoy our long summer days. Take time to look for fireflies, slow down and enjoy this wonderful time with your children. I will miss them and look forward to hearing all about their summer adventures.
Take care,
Melissa
May 29, 2008
The end is near. Wow, what a great year we've had! The children have grown so much and I have truly enjoyed being a part of their lives. We continue to prepare for the Dance of the Cosmos and extended day graduation with great anticipation. Ask your children about:
- What they've leaned about the solar system.
- What they liked best about this year.
- Extended day students should have much to tell you about their trip to the dunes.
May 22, 2008
Only nine more school days left? I can't believe that we are almost finished and summer is just around the corner! We still have so much to do so expect lots of great stories from your children about upcoming events.
- It was so great to see all of the Grandparents and Friends on Friday. It is my favorite day of the year and I hope everyone had fun. Ask your child what their favorite part of the day was.
- We talked about Memorial Day and why it is such an important day to celebrate. Ask your child about what they know and why flags only fly at half mast.
- Did you feed my cow? We enjoyed some music by Ella Jenkins this week. Ask your child to sing some songs to you. They're so fun.
May 15, 2008
It was so nice to see those of you would could make it to our class social on Tuesday evening. Boy did we luck out on the weather!
- Poor Pluto. Ask your child about it.
- Did you know that we have a HUGE sculpture designed by Leonardo right here in Michigan? Ask your child about The American Horse, who is was designed for and where it's twin is.
- As we practice our songs for Grandparents/Special Friend day I got to wondering about "the clock song". I did some research on the Internet and found that the title was actually We Just Couldn't Say Goodbye. We listened to a woman named Maxine Sullivan sing it. Ask your child what they thought.
- The extended day children enjoyed their last Great Books story today. Ask them about it and what they liked best about all the different stories they've heard this past year.
May 8, 2008
Wow, there are only a few weeks of school left and still so much to do! We have begun some preparations for our end of the year celebration with the big "Dance of the Cosmos" being the main topic. We talk about our place in the universe all year long but now with a lot more focus. You should begin to hear all about the solar system and our place in it.
- Grandparents/Special friend day is fast approaching and the children are busy preparing some special songs and gifts to share. Ask them to sing a few bars of Glow Worm or The Clock Song.
- Our new musical experence is taking us way back. The Mills Brothers are this months topic and boy do the children like them. I grew up listening to Cab Driver, Glow Worm, Up the Lazy River...and it sure is fun to share them with the class.
- What are the parts of a flower you ask? Well, check in with your child and I'm sure they can fill you in.
May 1, 2008
Snow? Wow, the weather took a turn this week and we have been a bit cold in the mornings. Be sure to check the weather report before sending your little ones out the door to be sure they are warm enough.
- May is here! We had a great time in the barn celebrating with the songs we've been singing and a May Pole dance preformed by the elementary children. Be sure to ask them about it.
- We put out a new bird feeder but it doesn't contain seeds. Ask your child what is in it and why.
- The extended day children began a new book by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Be sure to ask them about what life is like living in the "Big Woods".
April 24, 2008
What a wonderful week. The sun is shining, the birds are singing and it's just a great time to be alive. We have been talking a lot about Earth Day and what it all means. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!!!
- Ask your child about the special activities we had on Tuesday for Earth Day. Ask them about their pledge to the earth.
- We took a walk around our campus and made some new discoveries. Ask your child about "our" tree and their trip to the greenhouse.
- May Day is just around the corner and along with our traditional May Pole dance we are learning some new songs to sing during the celebration. Ask your child to sing one to you.
April 17, 2008
Now that the weather is getting nice again we have been enjoying some extra time outside. It's so great to see the children running around without their jackets...it's as if they have broken out of a shell and have freedom for the first time. Take a moment sometime on your way out and watch them on the playground.
- This month is Poetry Month and we traveled to the barn for a poetry jam. The children wrote a Haiku about our school which we all read together at the jam. Ask them to recite it for you.
Why we like our school
Our friend, our work and our class
We like everything
- What's the word? RECYCLE! Earth day is next week and we have been learning about how our waste effects the earth and how we can help. Recycling is something we can all do and teaching this habit now will help insure a healthy further for our children. Ask them what they've learned and ask them to sing your our Reduce, Reuse, Recycle song.
- Leonardo Da Vinci is the new artist we are studying. We have found that he was not only a great artist but and amazing inventor. I am sure that he will become a very large part of our conversations in the month to come. Ask your child what they've learned so far.
April 10, 2008
What a great week! Everyone is back and our classroom is in full swing. The children have been having such a great time talking about their "Spring Break Adventures" and without snow on the ground it definitely feels more like spring is here. Just a quick reminder that although we are getting warmer days it is still pretty cold in the morning when we are outside so warmer clothing works best.
- This week we talked about rainbows. Ask your child about how they are formed and what happens to light when we look through a prism.
- Is it hot outside or cold? What is a thermometer? Ask your child why we are learning to read a thermometer.
- The extended day children started a new story. Ask them about the won't-pick-up-toys cure or the answer-backer cure.
March 27, 2008
Our classroom numbers have been dwindling with the arrival of Spring Break but the children who remain haven't missed a beat. Our bean experiment continues and the flower planting begins after break. I hope you all have a fun filled time with your children and I look forward to hearing their stories when we return.
- This week we have been talking about the different instruments that make up an orchestra. Ask your child what types might be found in the percussion, wind, brass and string sections.
- Our friends, the birds, are returning and we are preparing a "store" for them. Ask your child what we are offering.
- As we all talk about the places we might be traveling over break we realized that many friends are going to warm beaches. To get us in the mood we are learning a Hawaiian love song. Ask your child to sing it.
March 20, 2008
Spring has sprung...or at least that's what the calendar says. We have had an amazing week together. The children are all so happy and seem so satisfied with their work. As a first year guide it is so great to witness this normalization in the casa. I invite you to come and observe and see how they are all interacting with one another.
- This week we continue to work on our Jackson Pollack paintings. Ask your child to describe their experience expressing themselves in the unusual way.
- Easter is just around the corner and we have been reading a book about how Easter is celebrated around the world. Ask you child how different cultures celebrate and why. Also, ask them about some of the games children play.
- We have a cool experiment happening with some of our bean plants. Ask you child what we have discovered so far in the "seed to plant" cycle.
March 13, 2008
The children were all very happy to see each other again after a long weekend. It was so nice to sit with all of you and talk about the growth of your child(ren). I get so much out of these brief conversations and want to remind you that I welcome emails, phone calls and visits anytime. Thank you for sharing your children with me, I feel truly blessed.
- Eat your heart out Jackson Pollock! As we learn about this artist we also have a fun classroom project that the children are creating together. Ask them about it.
- We are talking about a new composer and in doing so have found that unlike the previous musicians this gentleman didn't write music until much later in life. He actually became a lawyer before finding his true passion. Ask them who he is and what ballets he wrote.
- Last week we traveled to the Barn for a "pounding" concert by some of our very own elementary students. Ask them what instruments they played and what they thought.
- We have begun our seed planting. Ask your child what we are growing first and the experiment that goes along with it.
February 28, 2008
We have Spring Fever!!! One of the children in our class brought in a bulb planting kit for us to grow some daffodils and now it's all about spring flowers. I have set up a table in the back of the room where we will be growing some plants over the next several weeks. I hope to begin with beans early next week so the children can have a good idea of how seeds turn into plants. We will then be moving on to vegetables and flowers. It should be a lot of fun for all of us and I am looking forward to it.
- Ask your child about the awesome play they watched this past week.
- What is really in an icicle? We melted one to find out and discovered something very interesting.
- As we gear up for our spring planting we have talked about what a plant needs to grow. There are three very important things. Ask them to tell you about them.
- We will not have talking points next week due to conferences so you can be sure that the week after will be full of news about the goings on in the casa. Be sure to check it out. I am very excited to see and talk to all of you about your amazing, beautiful, talented, magnificent children.
February 21, 2008
I hope everyone enjoyed the three day week-end. The children seemed rested and healthy upon returning to the classroom. It was great to get back to business and our week has been full of new fun activities. Some points of interest include:
- Our fish seem to be ailing from a bacterial infection caused by a tank that is too small to handle fish of this size (and their waste). The conversation as to why caused a very spontaneous and fun discussion about what happens to our food after we swallow? Ask your child about the process of food digestion and absorption.
- Following the digestion conversation has led us to discuss more about what happens inside our bodies and how it all works. Ask your child about breathing and our blood. Ask them how our white blood cells or "soldiers" fight off germs.
- Our discussions about North America continue. We have been looking at all the different styles of clothing, houses, art, transportation and much more. Ask your child about what they've seen and what they feel about it all.
- We finished our Magic Tree House book and discussed the difference between fact and fiction. The book had some really great facts about the crossing of the Delaware and what that battle meant for our country so I wanted to be sure they realized that those facts were true and the reaction was amazing. Ask your child about who the Patriots where, what they did for our country and why they felt the need to have a "war".
- The extended day students have started a new book. Ask them about it.
February 14, 2008
What an exciting week! As you can imagine the children were so excited to share their Valentine cards with each other. I hope you have fun looking at them with your child. We wrapped up the week with a Presidents Day assembly in the barn and in preparation for this event we began reading a Magic Tree House book called "Revolutionary War on Wednesday." Ask them about the words of Thomas Paine that George Washington spoke to his troops on the eve of their attack. What does "These are the times that try men's souls" or "The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph" mean?
- We had a great time looking at snowflakes on Wednesday morning. Ask your child what "cool" things we discovered!
- Ask your child about the President we choose to talk about and some of the facts we found out during our research.
- Ask your child about "The Cat Came Back" or "The Watermelon Song" and if they can sing them to you.
- Some of the children whent to the barn on Thursday for a very special treat. Ask them what it was. Here is a hint......
February 7, 2008
Wow! January is already gone as February quickly blows in. This week has been full of excitement as the children excitedly finished the preparations for the Lion Dance. There is also a buzz beginning about Valentine's Day. Be sure to keep an eye our for the letter that will be coming home soon with information about how our casa plans to celebrate. A few more things to talk about are:
- Ask your child to discribe the Lion Dance and ask them what their favorite part was.
- We continue to study the continent of North America. Ask your child if they have looked at the geography folders and if so what they might have discovered.
- Ask your child who the latest artist is and what paintings they have seen about our room.
- The extended day students had a fantastic time with Marc Schollett. Ask them what they did and what they learned about water.
January 31, 2008
- We are learning about a new composer. Ask your child who it is and what his music sounds like.
- There has been a lot of questions about North America lately so we are beginning a study about the continent where we live. Ask your child what they've learned so far.
- We are singing a new song about a watermelon. Ask your child to sing it to you.
January 24, 2008
- We continue to talk about the Chinese New Year and the children are very excited to learn about China and its culture. Ask your child about Chop Sticks and how they were "invented".
- What happens to animals in the winter where we live? Ask your child about what animals they might still see in your backyard and if they could identify tracks left in the snow.
- We listened to music composed by George Gershwin. Ask your child what was different about it compared to the music we've heard so far this year.
January 17, 2008
- This week we began studying a new artist. Ask your child who SHE is and what medium she used.
- We enjoyed a concert in the barn. Ask your child what instruments they used and who they were.
- The Chinese New Year celebration has been a long tradition at our school and preparations have begun. Ask your child what we've done so far.
January 10, 2008
Well, we are all back and it's great to see everyone again. The children have been so excited to see one another and have been eagerly telling stories about what they did over the holiday break! We happily welcome Cooper Christian who has "graduated" from Mary's toddler room and is a wonderful addition to our classroom community. Some other new happenings are:
- We are studying a new composer. Ask your child who he is and what piece of music we listened to.
- We have been learning a new song about a man who's birthday is this month. Ask you child who he was and have them sing the song for you.
- Now that we have started a new year we have been talking about "what is a year?" "what is a month?" and why the phases of the moon are important to knowing these answers.
- Lastly, as many of you have probably heard. The class bird, Sunshine, met an untimely death over the break. The children have been so great about it and although they were sad they seem to have taken it in stride. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
December 13, 2007
Well the energy levels are getting high in our room! Only a few days left until our Holiday Break and so much left to do. As the busy holiday season moves along here are a few ideas to brighten even the craziest day.
- We talked about the Winter Solstice. Ask your child when it is and what it means.
- We are studying a new Artist! The children all seem to really be enjoying these new styles a lot. Ask them who it is and what "periods" he's best known for.
- We had one last visitor from my home. Ask your child all about it! In the past anytime I brought this friend in it invoked hours of conversation.
- Many thanks to those who have donated gifts from our classroom wish list. I can't even begin to explain how wonderful it is to have these beautiful materials for the children. Enjoy the weekend and I hope to see you all at our sing-a-long!
December 6, 2007
SNOW DAY?! What a way to start the week! As you can imagine the children are just thrilled with all the new snow. We have many new activities happening in the casa so here are a few ideas to get your conversations rolling:
- We read a book about a man call "Snowflake Bentley." Ask your child what he loved doing and how we are using his ideas in our classroom.
- We are learning about Hanukkah. Ask your child about the songs and games we are enjoying.
- The children enjoyed our monthly school wide sing-a-long. Ask them what there favorite song was.
November 29, 2007
What a wonderful week and parent visiting day was so fun. If you couldn't make to don't worry we have more dates coming! The next few weeks will be an exciting time so be sure to check in and find out what we're up to! This week you could ask your child about:
- We are learning a new song in a different language. Ask your child what it's call and what language we are using.
- As the holiday season is now in full swing we are talking about peace, the gift of giving, and love. We read a book by Margery Williams that has a great message. Ask your child what the title is and what it was about.
- We listened to a piece of music written by the composer we are currently studying. Ask them who it is and what is the name of the composition.
- We have five new visitors in our classroom. Ask your child what they are.
- Extended day children have a new privilege involving Sunshine. Ask them about it.
November 20, 2007
Even though this month has been short for our meeting times, it has been full of activities. Along with our discussions about Vincent van Gogh and Antonio Vivaldi we have been busy with conversations about the pilgrims and what their journey means to us today and our freedoms and privileges that came from that faithful journey. Ask your children about:
- The song we've been singing. The title is "No More Kings" but to those of you who are School House Rock fans "Rockin' and a Rollin'" might ring home. We have had a lot of fun talking about the lyrics and if you go to Schoolhouserock.com you can get the lyrics to sing along.
- Cymbre Foster visited us to talk about a very important fruit that is in season this time of year. Ask your child what it is and how long their roots might be.
- The Harvest Feast! What fun. Ask your child who sat with them, what they ate and what was the special event we all shared.
- Extended Day students finished "The Trumpet of the Swan". Ask them the story and how it ended. What book is coming next?
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
- What an exciting week we've had! The children were so thrilled to see this year's first snow flurries. Ask your child what makes the snow fall.
- We traveled to the barn for a wonderful duet performance. We were lucky enough to hear a piece written by the composer we are currently studying (Bach). Ask your child the name of the piece and what two instruments were played.
- We began talking about an artist that lived long ago. Ask your child who it is and the name of some of the paintings we've been discussing.
- The extended day students had a visit from Marc Schollett. Ask them what it was about. They also listened to two Authors who were visiting the school. Ask them what books they wrote. Finally they had fun planting bulbs on our campus. Ask them what kind and where to expect to see them.
November 1, 2007
This past week has been very exciting for the children. Halloween was a hot topic as well as all the things we have been discussing about fall. We go outside first thing everyday and there were lots of comments about how everyone is wearing thicker coats as well as hats and gloves! We have talked about how it might be only 40 degrees in the morning (burrrr) and then 60 by noon. The fluctuating temperatures makes it hard to know what to wear so we all decided "layers" work best. Please check the weather in the morning to make sure that your child is dressed appropriately. Some other topics for conversation are:
- Ask you child about our school wide sing-along and what their favorite song was.
- The children were busy preparing the fruits of the season and our classroom smells great. Ask them what they prepared and if they liked it.
- Our magnetic science experiment is a big hit and the extended day was invited to the SE classroom to learn about something new. Ask them what it was.
October 25, 2007
- We have begun talking about different cultures and languages. Spanish is first on our list and we have begun learning our colors. Ask your child to name some or ask them to show you.-rojo (red) -verde (green) -anaranjado (orange) -negro (black)-azul (blue) -morado (purple) -blanco (white) -gris (gray) -amarillo (yellow) -cafe (brown) -rosado (pink)
- Paleo Joe came to talk to some of the children on Tuesday. He brought the largest tooth ever found...Ask your child what dinosaur it is from and where it was found.
- We are talking about a new composer. Ask your child who he is.
October 18, 2007
- We took a walk on our campus to see and talk about all the changes that were happening. We saw many plants that had died and many that were still blooming. Ask your child which flowers seem to like the cool fall weather. Ask them if all the leaves were changing? Why or why not?
- One of the students brought in a new and unusual picture frame to share. It has a slot in the top so we can changes the picture often. Ask your child what series of pictures we are studying.
- We have been talking about Ludwig van Beethoven. Ask your child what Sonata we listened to and whether or not it was written before or after he lost his hearing.
October 11, 2007
We were all glad to see each other again after our long weekend. This week we had two presentations from the upper elementary children, began talking about Halloween, and the extended day children began a new book by E.B. White. Here are a few ideas to stir up some conversations with your child:
- What new song are they learning?
- What can they do with box tops and soup labels (bar code included)?
- What is recycling and how can they help?
- Ask your extended day child what our new book is titled and what it is about.
October 4, 2007
- Our "All About Me" pages are coming in. It is so much fun to not only see our friend's creativity but also learn so many new things about everyone. We have been discussing many new topics and below you will find a few questions to chat about with your child that will hopefully bring all of us closer together.
- We have been talking about birds a lot and this week we put out our bird feeders. Ask your child what wild birds they may have noticed outside our room. Ask them about the difference between a "wild born" bird and a "captive born" bird.
- We have been discussing the calender and how we have 12 months and in each are 7 days. Ask your child about "The days of the week" song.
- It's fall! There have been so many conversations about the changes in the seasons and this week we talked about the foods that come into season in the fall and apples were at the top of our list. Ask your child about the "surprise" inside of an apple and what the seeds are called.
September 27, 2007
- This week our class looked at paintings and heard a story about a famous artist who painted pictures consisting of many little dots; who was he?
- We have a new coloring mixing activity on the shelf. Ask your child to describe it to you.
- Our bird (ask her name) is now spending time outside of her cage on her new playground. Have your child tell you about what she enjoys doing out of her cage.
September 20, 2007
- We have been talking about fall. Ask your child why the leaves change colors.
- We learned a new song by Ella Jenkins Ask your child to sing "The Cow Song".
- We are learning how to communicate with and without words. Ask your child how to say "Yes" and "No" without using their voice. Extended day parents-Ask your child how to say "wait" and why we use this signal.
September 13, 2007
- Our classroom is off to a great start. There are lots of lessons on "grace and courtesy" and we are getting reacquainted with the materials and friends. Have your child tell you about what is new in the classroom.
- We have a wonderful new pet. Ask your child to tell you all about it.
- Many of our songs include the children's names to help us get to know each other better. Have your child name some new friends.
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