Welcome to Alison's Class

June 15, 2008

I had such a great year watching all of your children grow and learn in so many ways. Thank you for sharing your children with me. I hope you all can take some time to enjoy the summer months with each other. I look forward to seeing you all in the fall.

Thanks, Alison 

May 29, 2008

• On Friday the 23rd of May, we celebrated Grandparent's Day. It was a great success. The children were so excited to see their grandparents and share their work with them. It was great to meet some new grandparents and visit with some returning ones. Thank you for a fun day.
• This week the topic of discussion was nutrition. We talked about the food pyramid. I showed the children how much of each food group they need per day. We discussed the different types of food in each group and how they could eat the proper food to stay healthy. I think they were surprised to see how many vegetables are recommended per day. Two and a half cups!
• As the end of the school year draws near, there are feelings of completion and excitement for the upcoming events. It is hard to believe we are almost finished with the school year. Your children have grown in so many ways. It was an honor for me to be a part of it. Thank you. Have a wonderful summer!

May 22, 2008

• This week we talked about a tree swallow that has built a nest in a nesting box out on the playground. She has laid some eggs and I spoke to the children about how important it is not to put our fingers or objects into the box. This could cause the mom to abandon the babies. As children are very curious, I told them they could look only with their eyes, preferably from afar. Together we studied the tree swallow, i.e., its nesting habits, its song, and its diet. Ask your child how a tree swallow eats insects.
• This week the extended day children and I talked about the important roles they will be playing in the Dance of the Cosmos. I expressed to them the many parts of the solar system they could play. They will choose their top three choices and then my colleagues and I will thoughtfully give each extended day student a part. The first and second year students will play the parts of the Milky Way and Aurora Borealis. How exciting!
• The children are very excited about Grandparent's Day. We have been busy preparing for our special guests. Many of the children have been dusting, polishing, arranging flowers, and finding ways to make the classroom beautiful. We are all looking forward to this special day! 

May 15, 2008

• This week we talked about the solar system. We talked about each planet and its position around the sun. I also taught them a new song about the planets. We are focusing on our solar system because on the last day of school we will all be participating in the Dance of the Cosmos. It has been a tradition at our school for many years. Ask your child how many moons Saturn has or why Mars has the nickname the Red Planet.
• The extended day children and I have recently finished Matilda by Roald Dahl. We have started a new series called The Magic Tree House by Mary Pope Osborne. We just read Book #1 Dinosaurs Before Dark. We will begin Book #2 The Knight at Dawn. The children are really enjoying this series and some are familiar with some of the books. Perhaps, it might be some fun reading this summer for you and your child.
• We had a visit from Cymbre Foster this week. She heads up the greenhouse, Della Terra, for our school. She brought in the plant of the month, asparagus, for all of us to try. She told us the history of this vegetable, how it is harvested, and the nutritional value. Most of the children were willing to try asparagus. Some who were not so sure, tried it and decided they liked it. I am always encouraging the children to try new foods. 

May 8, 2008

• There was quite a buzz in our classroom this week! The kitchen sink has had a crack in it for a while and the other day, Enan was preparing snack, and a can fell out of the cupboard and into the sink, making a huge hole in the basin! As a result, our sink will not be in working order until we got a new one. The children have adjusted well to this interruption of their daily routine. They have done very well in sharing the bathroom sink and have enjoyed the big cooler I brought in for drinking water. It is suddenly a little more exciting to quench your thirst during the morning. We should be getting a new sink this Monday or Tuesday. We are all looking forward to this.
• This week Enan brought in a chrysalis from a sphinx moth. She shared with the children where she found it and what the moth will look like once it is ready to come out. I also talked to the children about the process called metamorphosis. How it's life begins as a pupuae, continues to the chrysalis, and then eventually to the adult. If you happen to come along a chrysalis on your nature walks, please feel free to bring it in.
• We talked about a famous painter by the name of Anna Mary "Grandma" Moses. She did not start painting seriously until she was about 70 years old. She was known for her folkart and her paintings reminded everyone of simpler, happier times. Ask your child what Grandma Moses did to one of her paintings when someone wanted to buy her artwork. 

May 1, 2008

• It is a tradition at our school to celebrate May Day. It is a time when we celebrate the coming of spring with music and coming together. The elementary sing some songs and perform a dance with the May pole. The extended day children make unique and beautiful hats to where for the celebration. We crown the May Day queen and join in singing some songs all together to honor this special time of year.
• In the classroom we will have wonderful conversations about many types of subjects. It is so fun for me, as the guide, to watch their expressions as they ponder or express the questions they may have. They are hungry for knowledge and I am always trying to fulfill this desire. I feel the need to tell you all about a conversation we had this week at group. I read them a book about rocks and how many things in our world are made from rock. The book touched on how fossils relate to rocks. One of the children brought up the fact that we have bones in our head, but not in our nose or tongue. I told the children that our tongue is made of muscle which helps us to talk and chew our food. It is a pretty important part of our body. Another child then proposed the question, what if we did not have a tongue? All of the children began really thinking about this and what it would be like. The way the children moved their faces around to understand what this would be like was quite entertaining. I told them to think about what their tongue is doing while they ate lunch that day and had conversations with their friends.
• This week we talked about the history of rock and roll, the first instruments that were used to play rock and roll, and how rock and roll may have played a role in bringing black and white people together because both enjoyed it. I played some Elvis Presley, Chubby Checker, and Jerry Lee Lewis. We also did a little dancing. 

April 24, 2007

• This week we celebrated Earth Day. Many of the children thought about what they could do for the earth. Each child had their commitment to the earth written down on a slip of paper. Some of the children wanted to save animals, write poems for the earth, pick up litter and others had thoughts of planting trees. We went outside and as we helped plant trees, we placed our commitment in the ground. The children seemed to enjoy getting involved with digging the holes and saving the earthworms they found. Ask your child about the song we are singing about recycling and doing our part.
• Have you ever heard of a cherimoya? I brought it in for the children to take a look at. It is a rare fruit derived from Bolivia, Peru, and Ecuador. It comes from a deciduous or semi-evergreen tree. Many people believe it tastes like a cross between a pineapple and banana. Its nickname is "custard apple."
• We celebrated our Spring Fling this week. We have been patiently waiting for the weather to cooperate. We all went outside and had some fun. Some of the activities included flying kites, making sandcastles, and riding bikes. It was a great chance for all of us to spend this kind of time together and celebrate spring. 

April 17, 2007

• April is poetry month! We had a poetry jam in the barn with the primary and elementary students. Many of the students wrote their own poems and read them. Many other children and adults picked favorite poems and shared them. As a class, Mia Brodeur read the poem that we wrote as a class about spring. It is becoming a nice tradition for our school to get together for poetry.
• This week we studied Paul Gaugin, a famous painter. He was a man who followed his dream to become a painter while many other friends and relatives thought it was not a good idea. He enjoyed painting life on faraway islands of the South Pacific. He loved the colors he found in jungles, the native people who lived there, and their ancient customs. We have several pieces of his paintings available for the children to look at in the classroom. Ask your child what type of symbols he liked to put in his paintings.
• We talked about Johann Sebastian Bach this week in our classroom. We listened to a CD about his life and listened to his music. The children have the opportunity to listen to some Bach at the listening center. Ask your child how many children he had.

April 10, 2008

• The extended day children attended a play at the Lars Hockstad Auditorium called Beware the Brindlebeast and Other Stories. It was a play that included sign language and the audience had a chance to participate by signing. We learned some signs that could help us at school too. Ask your extended day child what the sign is for walking, jumping, or running is.
• We are doing some planting in our classroom this week. I gave a lesson on how to plant pumpkin seeds. We hope that our seeds will sprout in several weeks and then your child can plant them in a place at their own house. And maybe by the time Halloween rolls around your child may have their own pumpkin growing in their backyard. Ask your child what helps a plant to grow.
• We have been talking about water this week. We read a book called Water by Frank Asch. We talked about how water can come in different forms, i.e. rain, tears, dew. The children and I expressed why it is so important to have water in our lives and why. With Earth Day coming soon, we also found ways how we could keep our water clean. 

March 27, 2008

• This week we became poets! We read several poems from a children's poetry book called Handsprings by Douglas Florian. Each poem related to children and the season of spring. We then created our own poem about springtime. The children and I would like to share it with you.  

Spring
Spring is...
a wonderful day,
a very good day,
fresh green and bright,
sunny,
spring cleaning,
flowers growing.
Written by Alison's primary class

• Bones! Bones! Bones! We talked about the human skeleton this week. I showed the children a picture of a human skeleton and we learned the names of some of the bones. We even made up a song to help us learn them. Ask your child how many bones are in the human body.
• The extended day children have just finished listening to me read the book James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl. It really seemed to captivate them all. Each time I read it to them they were begging for me to read more. We have just started reading Pipi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren. So far, the children are finding it quite humorous. Ask your extended day child where Pipi rolled out her cookie dough.

HAVE A GREAT SPRING BREAK!

March 20, 2008

• Where did the name pussy willow come from? Ask your child and he/she may know the answer. This week we are excited to bring in the new season of spring. The children and I located a pussy willow tree outside of the elementary wing. I cut off a branch and brought it back to the classroom for the children to look at and touch. I explained to the children that the pussy willow is one of spring's earliest harbinger. We also have an art material on the shelf where the children can make there own pussy willow branch.
• St. Patrick's Day was also part of the celebration this week. I spoke to the children about who St. Patrick was and his importance with the celebration of this day. We talked about the meaning of the shamrock and how it was a sacred plant in ancient Ireland because it symbolized the rebirth of spring. The children and I are also learning an Irish song this week called Cockels and Mussels.
• Last Friday the extended day children went on a field trip to a maple syrup farm. They learned about the process of collecting and making maple syrup. The very kind farmer gave us some maple syrup to take back to our school. In our classroom this week we made some blueberry pancakes with some delicious maple syrup to go on top of them. What a treat! 

March 13, 2008

• This week there was a Drum Club performance by the elementary students in the Barn. It was obvious to the audience that the performers were having a great time up on the stage. This excitement spilled over the audience and we all sang and jived with the music.
• This week we talked about why foods taste differently in our mouth and how our tongue can recognize sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. We all tried some different foods with these tastes. Ask your child how our taste buds can tell us how things taste.
• We took a walk down through the art gallery of our school. Many of the pieces of art on display are created by artists who are employees, parents, and relatives of our school. There is a great variety of art medias to see and it is so wonderful for the children to relate the piece of art with a person they may know. I feel that this gives the children a closer relationship with art and opens up the door to their own creativity. 

February 28, 2008

• This week we talked about Georgia O'Keefe. She was an artist who appreciated simple, natural things around her. In our classroom we have some of Georgia O'Keefe's pieces of art for the children to explore. Ask your child what parts of nature she liked to paint.
• We were invited to watch an upper elementary performance this week in the barn. The audience laughed a lot and were inspired by the older children performing nursery rhymes and stories by Dr. Seuss. This performance is always a favorite at our school. Ask your child what they liked best about the play.
• This week the parents were again invited to visit their child's classroom. It is such a pleasure for me to have you all in the classroom to see the accomplishments of your children. They are so proud of the work they are doing and want to share it with you. Thank you for coming.
• There will not be talking points next week due to conferences, please look for them the following week. If you have not scheduled your conference, please call the front desk and do so. 

February 21, 2008

• Many of us are feeling the winter blahs these days. Sometimes getting through these wintery days is figuring out a way to enjoy it. During the winter season it is fun to take hikes through the woods or on a trail. This week I talked to the children about footprints. I showed them some Michigan animal footprints and how they would be able to identify them in the snow. Ask your child what is interesting about a rabbit's footprint.
• Winter squash is the vegetable of the month at our school. I brought in some different types of winter squash for the children to experience. I talked to them about why it is called winter squash and we cooked some of the squash and tried it. I did doctor it up a bit with some butter and brown sugar. There is a possibility your child may be asking for squash for dinner.
• It's teatime! The extended day had a tea party. It was quite lovely. All of them participated in making apple oatmeal muffins and set the table with a tablecloth, cloth napkins, and even flowers for the centerpiece. We all sat down and enjoyed some peach tea with cream and sugar and the delicious muffins. It was an excellent opportunity to show them some grace and courtesy.  

February 14, 2008

• There was a special performance this week given by Stass Pronin, a violonist from Russia. He played an 1859 J.B. Vuillaume violin that a local man from Traverse City lent him. According to violin enthusiasists, the opportunity to play a violin of this stature is quite a priviledge. What a great opportunity for the children to experience this performance. 
• We celebrated President's Day this week in the barn with the primary and elementary children in the school. The primary children were asked to talk a little about their president during the presentation in the barn. To prepare for this, our classroom was taking a look at Harry S. Truman. We talked about what it means to be the president, to campaign, and what voting is. Ask your child what the "Whistletop" campaign meant for Truman.
• Happy Valentine's Day! As you know the children have been preparing to give their friend's a Valentine at school. We had a conversation about what this means to give someone you care about a Valentine and why. We also spoke about some other ways you can show someone you care about them.

• This week Marc Schollett came to show the extended day students another captivating science experiment. He talked to the children about water pressure and the effect it has on the creatures that live at the bottom of our lakes. He brought in a live crayfish for the children to see and feel how hard its exoskeleton is and how this protects the animal from the pressure of the water deep in the lakes. He also showed how a popcan can be affected by water pressure. Ask your child what happened to the popcan.
• Gung Hey Fat Choy! We celebrated Chinese New Year this week. The extended day children had a big part in playing the dragons. The other primary children watched the dragons stomp down the barn floor and made lots of noise using their hands and rhythm sticks to scare the dragons away. After the performance, we all went back to our individual classrooms for a small feast of oranges, rice, and fortune cookies.
• I feel it is important for the children to experience new and different foods. We tried starfruit this week. All of the children were willing to try it and some recalled tasting it last year in my classroom. It was a hit among the children and many were asking if they could have more. We also read a book called, The Magical Starfruit Tree by Rosalind C. Wang. Ask your child what the angry man did and what he learned from his actions.

• The children were tapping their feet and bobbing their heads this week at group time. We listened to some jazz music. I talked to the children about some jazz artists like Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, and Tony Bennett. The children have the opportunity at the listening center in the classroom to experience more jazz. Ask your child what instrument Louie Armstrong played?
• Some interesting items appeared in our classroom this week. These items are very old and came from sedimentary rock. Ask your child about the dinosaur bone and shark's tooth?
• This week I talked to the children about being kind to our friends. We read a book called, Being Mean by Joy Berry. When we purposefully hurt another person's feelings it is being mean. Sometimes when we are angry or looking for attention we might be mean to another person. I asked the children what they could do when they get angry. Some of the children like to pet their cat and another likes to go to a very high place to be by themselves. We talked about some other productive ways the children could handle their anger. All of the children seemed very interested in this conversation. Maybe there could be a continuance of this conversation at home.

• This week we talked about Martin Luther King, Jr. I spoke to the children about his dreams, his life and his accomplishments. He dreamed of love, peace, and justice and made a great impression on people everywhere to make our world a better place. I also taught the children a song about Martin Luther King, Jr. Ask your child to sing it to you.
• We were invited to the barn this week to enjoy some fun music performed by Mark and Didi Alderman. It was a mixture of percussion and strings. It was upbeat and the children really enjoyed it while they moved their bodies to the beat. Ask your child if they remember the song about the caterpillar.
• The extended day children did a sensorial experiment using a blindfold. They paired up and one had a blindfold on and the other was their guide. The guide took their blindfolded partner around the classroom and touched their hand to some familiar things and maybe some not so familiar things in the classroom. The blindfolded child had to guess what they were touching without being able to see. They had a good time and it was especially interesting to them that they could identify what they were touching without being able to see it.  

January 10, 2008

• We have four new students that have joined our classroom after the holiday break. Please help me in making the families feel welcome. Thank you. Sterling Wade (Cory and Britny)Evan Stegenga (Spencer and Erica)Miles Neidorfler (Jeff and Misha)Ivy Libby (Michael and Karen)
• We took a close look at another great artist this week. His name is Edgar Degas. He was born in Paris, France and some of his most famous works of art are scenes of Paris and the people who worked and lived there. In the classroom, the children have the option to look at some of his work. One of Edgar Degas's all-time favorite subjects was the ballet. Ask your child what Degas liked to paint with regards to the ballerinas.
• Marc Schollett came to the primary hall this week to work with the extended day students. He talked to them about sublimation. This means turning a solid into a gas. He brought in dry ice and we watched as he made metal sing, made a bubble full of gas, and blew up a balloon without using his mouth. Ask your extended day child how he did this.

• This week we went to a performance in the gym in celebration of St. Lucia's Day. Lisa Johannson led a group of young people in song and flute playing. Ask your child about the young woman with the candles on her head. In our classroom, we talked about St. Lucia and baked some Swedish spice cookies.
• We did a science experiment with snow. We scooped up some snow in a bowl and brought it inside our warm classroom. The children watched as the snow slowly turned into water. How long did it take? Was the melted snow clean or dirty? Ask your child what they thought. And is it a good idea to eat the snow?
• The extended day children are listening to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. The book is getting really exciting. Ask your child about what has happened to Charlie? 

• With the coming of the holidays, this week we have been talking about gift giving. It is a special time of year when one can make something for someone and happily give to them. It is a way to let them know that you love and appreciate them. This week the children have been busily working on special gifts for the ones they love.
• Marc Schollett came to visit our extended day students once again this week. This week he made clouds using warm water in a large tank (representing the lake) and a tray of ice (representing space). He brought these two substances together and the children watched as clouds started to form inside of the tank. The children were fascinated by this phenomenon. Ask your child what happens to the clouds if the lakes are polluted.
• This week we planted an amaryllis bulb in our classroom. It is so exciting for the children to watch the stem get taller and taller and eventually blossom into this beautiful flower. Each day we will be measuring the progress of the growth and when the flower has bloomed we will be studying the different parts of the flower. The amaryllis is such a wonderful flower to do this with. The children and I will keep you posted on its progress.

• This past Tuesday seemed like a great day to do some baking in the classroom with the taste of true winter weather showing its face. We made homemade pretzels and they were delicious! Some of the children participated in the making of the pretzel dough and all of the children received a chance to design their one of a kind pretzel shape. Along with enjoying our pretzels, the children all tasted a pomegranate. Many were familiar with this unique fruit, but others were trying it for the first time. Even so, all of the children asked for seconds.
• With the holidays upon us, it is always fun to start singing those old favorite holiday carols. Maybe your children are coming home and singing Frosty the Snowman or Dashing Through the Snow, but I am also teaching them some new songs too. The old favorites and the new ones will be sung by everyone in the barn at the seasonal sing a long on December 19th. Look for it on the school calendar.
• This week we are talking about Iceland. I showed the children where it is located on the map and how it is not a piece of land covered in ice. I spoke about the culture, climate, language, habitat, and the children's leisure activities of Iceland. Ask your child about the elves of Iceland.

• In the time that we have had our lizard in our classroom, he has spent a lot of his time hiding in the green foliage up in the corner of the aquarium. We have fed him crickets daily and have never see the lizard eat them, but they are always gone the following day. Well, just a few days ago, Leo, the lizard, must have been hungry enough to eat the crickets immediately after we put them in. A handful of the children in our classroom had the chance to see Leo chomp down on two crickets. It was quite exciting! And what fun to learn more about the life of a lizard.
• This week we had the opportunity to listen to a performance done by the upper elementary children. The music had a variety of percussion instruments and singing. During the performance, they told a story about a number of Indian tribes making peace during a war. In the end, they buried their weapons beneath a tree.
• Our Harvest Feast was enjoyed by all this year. We took the time in the morning to prepare by cutting and chopping some food, placing the food neatly on the trays, and making beautiful flower arrangements for the tables. We all came together and talked about what we are thankful for in our lives and then enjoyed a smorgasbord of food from mashed potatoes to calzones to fish sticks. There was something in the menu for everyone!
• May you all have a Thanksgiving full of love, laughter, good company and good food.

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!

• This week we have been talking about flags. I showed them what the flag of our country looks like and we also took a look at some other flags from other countries too. In light of this, we have been practicing "America the Beautiful." Ask your child what the flag of their country looks like.
• This week we had the opportunity to try dragon fruit or pitaya. It is native to Mexico and Central and South America. The skin is a beautiful magenta color and the flesh of the fruit is likened to that of a kiwifruit due to a prevalance of sesame seed-sized black crunchy seeds. It is rich in fiber, Vitamin C and minerals. Ask your child what they thought of the dragon fruit or ask them when it blooms.
• This week Marc Schollett came to our school and talked to the extended day students about pollution in water. He did a science experiment with the children involving water and oil. Each child was given their own bottle with water and colored oil. The children's homework was to see if they could make the water and oil become friends or does the oil and water seem to want stay seperate from each other. He spoke about how this can effect the living things in our water. Is your child doing their homework? 

• This week we took a look at Pablo Picasso's life and work. We talked about the different periods he went through with his work and why. I have displayed some of his pieces of art on the cultural shelf in the classroom for the children to explore further. Ask your child about some of the periods Pablo Picasso went through with his work and what his paintings looked like with each period.
• The excitement was in the air on Pumpkin Fun Day! In the morning we carved a pumpkin. Each child had the choice to help pull out some of the pulp from the pumpkin. Some of the children helped crack eggs and measure flour as they prepared some pumpkin pancakes. To conclude our morning, we enjoyed our delicious snack and read a book about how pumpkins grow. In the afternoon, the extended day students rotated through the primary rooms participating in four different activities, including a craft, games, carving pumpkins, and singing songs. All of them enjoyed a delicious treat together of donuts and cider and then were excused to enjoy the festivities of the night at their own house. Happy Halloween! 

• This week we have been talking about different kinds of instruments and how there are three basic ways that instruments make music. You bang or strike some of them like a drum. You pluck or strum the strings on others. And there are still other instruments which you blow air into to make a pleasing sound. We also looked at some pictures of some instruments from different countries like India, Bali, and Trinidad. We asked ourselves if someone might bang, strum, or blow into these instruments.
• Paleo Joe came to our school! He came and talked to the extended day students about dinosaurs. Ask your child about the tooth Paleo Joe brought in and what dinosaur it came from?
•  We are looking at Japan! I showed the children some pictures of Japan and talked about the culture, climate, housing, food, and the people who live there. We also learned to speak a little Japanese. Ask your child how you would say, "How do you do?" in Japanese. Lastly, I wanted to show the children what Japanese writing looks like. I brought in a children's book that has a Japanese and an English version. It is called "Where Are You Going?  To See My Friend" by Eric Carle and Kazuo Iwamura. 

October 18, 2007

• This week we did a science experiment. First, we talked about what it means to sink and to float in water, we also talked about why it is easier to float in the ocean rather than in bodies of freshwater. Then we did the experiment with an egg, a glass of water, and some salt. Ask your child what the egg did after I added some salt to the water.
• It is the time of year when we get to enjoy the wonderful harvest of Fall. We took this opportunity to make applesauce in our classroom this week. Each child had the chance to peel, core, and slice an apple. We then put the apples into a crockpot and the wonderful aroma of baking apples filled our classroom. When the apples slowly cooked and turned into applesauce, it was enjoyed by all!
• This week we studied Russia. We talked about where Russia is on the maps in our classroom and how it is the largest country in the world. We talked about what the climate is like there and what Russinas like to do for fun. We also enjoyed a delicious Russian food called, Pumpkin Oladi. Ask your child what they thought the Pumpkin Oladi tasted like? 

• This week we talked about our five senses. I expressed to the children how we use our five senses all of the time. We have an area of the classroom called the sensorial area which allows the children to use all of their senses and to better refine them. I would like to share a song I taught them. Five Senses:(Tune: Where is Thumbkin)Five senses, five senses. We have them, we have themseeing, hearing, touching, tasting and smelling. There are five, there are five.
• Every week I hope to study a country with your children. Some of the points I will be touching on will be the geography, culture, people, climate, and possibly the history of each country. This week we studied the country of Australia. If you are passionate about a particular country and would like to contribute some information or artifacts, please feel free to contact me.
• We are required to practice a lock down with the children at our school to ensure the children are safe in the event of a possible crisis situation. Our school has developed a plan that is very well organized. I am very careful with the words that I say to your children during the drill. I tell them that we are going to practice a drill to keep us safe. I do not go into any further detail with them. If you would like to know the specifics of how we do this drill, please feel free to ask me.

• This week we made a visit down to the lobby where an artist named Paul Welch has his watercolor paintings on display. We talked about the type of media the painter used with his paintings and how we use watercolor in our own classroom. Ask your child about the paintings he/she saw.
• The extended day children did a botany study this week. We explored the world outside by collecting many different types of leaves. We came back into our classroom and compared our leaf shapes to the botany cabinet in our classroom. We talked about the scientific names for each leaf shape and the different parts of a leaf. Ask your extended day child about the leaf shapes they collected.
• Hablas Espanol! This week we are learning how to count in Spanish. We have a song that helps us to learn. Many of the children have had the opportunity to sing it for everyone else at group. Ask your child to sing it for you.

• We have been sharing a morning snack together since the beginning of the school year. This week I showed the children how to get their own snack, independently. There are quite a few steps involved, but the result is worth it. Ask your child what some of the steps are.
• This week we read a book about apples and we had a taste test of some different types of apples. The book talked about how the apples grow on the trees, how the farmer takes care of the trees, and what are some of the different things apples are made from. We each had the opportunity to taste a granny smith, a golden delicious, a red delicious, and a Macintosh. I asked many of the children how the apples differed in taste. Did it taste sour, sweet, or maybe both?
• The extended day students are listening to The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary. They really seem to be enjoying the book and are captivated by the trials and tribulations Ralph the mouse endures through the book. Ask your child what Ralph is up to now. 

• This week we practiced a fire drill as a school. I explained to all of the children how it is important for us to have a plan at our school if there was ever a fire. I suggested to all of the children to ask their parents if there was a fire plan at their house.
• Delecioso! The extended day children made salsa. We collected the tomatoes from the garden and chopped and squeezed. It was a great learning experience for all.
• We took a walk through the beautiful gardens of our school. With the changing of the seasons upon us, we talked about what were some of the signs of summer and what were some signs of fall. Ask your child what they observed on our walk. 

September 13, 2007

• With the start of a new school year, the children have excitement and uncertainty. Many of the returning children wonder if they will see familiar faces or if the classroom will feel the same. The children new to our classroom have many questions about what they will see and do. This week many of the children are beginning to adapt to their environment, whether the classroom was new or old to them. We are working to become a community that can exist together in harmony.
• This week we have a new classroom pet! It is a green anole lizard named Leo. It is has been very exciting for the children to watch the lizard and learn about how we will take take care of him. I will be bringing in some books about anole lizards for the children to research. Ask your child what the lizard likes to eat.
• I am beginning to put together the book which all of your children had a part in making. Please be sure to have your child complete this and bring it in. If you did not receive a piece of card stock from me at last week's meeting, please ask me about it. It would be so nice for children to be able to see all of their friends in a book like this in the classroom. Thank you.