Group Meeting:  The children have started to print their names before we start Group Meeting.  We are beginning with name book in which they will trace the letters of their name.  Later, we will move onto printing each letter in a box.  Then, they will print it on their own.

Story:  The story for today was Because of an Acorn by Lola Schaefer.  This book traces the life cycle of an acorn from when it falls off of the tree to when an animal carries to another place where it is planted and grows into an oak tree.  There were few words in the book, but wonderful pictures to lead conversations about trees.

Small Groups:  We are going to do small groups a little differently this week.  The children will be getting into their groups, but we will all be doing the same thing.
Today, we started a conversation about trees.  The children had to pretend that the teacher leading their small group knew nothing about trees.  They had to provide the description of what a tree looked like and anything that they knew about trees.  The teacher wrote their words onto paper.  When the groups got back together as one group, we compared our lists.

Letter Learning:  We have started learning about the letters of the alphabet.  Each day, I will show the children a letter, upper and lower case.  They will determine if that letter is in their name.  They will practice making the letter sound.  I will show them how to print the letter, upper and lower case, and they will practice writing on a small chalk board.  The method that we use is called Wet, Dry, Try.  Ask them to explain how this works.  The letter for today was Ll.

Snacks:  The snack for the morning class was apples and cheese sticks brought by Cooper.   The snack for the afternoon class was apples and wheat thins brought by Elizabeth.  Thank you, Cooper and Elizabeth!

Story:  The story for today was Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr.  This is the story of letters that climb up the coconut tree.  When all of the letters reach the top, it becomes too heavy and bends over.  All of the letters fall out.  The moms and dads come to help the little letters get back up.  Ask your child to tell you what happens at the end.  We are reading this story to help us prepare for next week when we will be learning about one letter each day.

Small Groups:  The children completed a Let's Find Out magazine about apples and watched a video about how apples grow.

Letter Learning:  The children were introduced to Magic C Bunny.  Magic C Bunny loves curves.  We practiced making curves by pretending to drive Magic C Bunny's car to the stop sign with crayons.

Snacks:  The morning class had wheat thins, strawberries, and milk brought by Cora.  The snack for the afternoon class was English muffins and strawberries brought by Eliza.  Thank you, Cora and Eliza!

Group Meeting: At Family Night, some children brought their family picture to add to our tree.  We would like to have a picture from every family.  If you have not done so, please send one.

Story:  The story for today was A Pocket for Corduroy by Dan Freemann.  Before I read the story, we recalled the story Corduroy from last week.  In today's story, Corduroy goes with Lisa to the laundromat (we stopped to talk about laundromats).  When Corduroy hears Lisa's mom tell her to empty her pockets, he realizes that he does not have a pocket.  He goes on a search for something to use to make a pocket.  In his search, he gets lost in a bag of wet laundry.  When it's time for Lisa to go home, she cannot find him.  Ask your child to tell you where Lisa finds Corduroy.

Small Groups:  The activities for this week are listed in Monday's post.  The schedule for today was:
Activity #1 Green Group
Activity #2 Red Group
Activity #3  Yellow Group

Letter Learning:  The children practiced making big lines and little lines while tracing fence posts and bird legs.

Large Group:  The children went to the Outdoor Classroom.

Snacks:  The morning snack was cheese, wheat thins, grapes, and milk brought by Grace.  The afternoon snack was yogurt, Belvita bars and milk brought by Ian.  Thank you, Grace and Ian!

Picture Day and Family Night

Group Meeting:  The first thing that we did today was take a class picture.  I think the picture will be really nice.  After that, the children went 3 at a time with Mrs. Lehenbauer to get their picture taken while the rest of the class proceeded with our usual activities.

Story:  The story for today was Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes.  Chrysanthemum is the name of a little girl.  Her parents gave her that name because they thought it was a perfect name for a perfect girl.  Chrysanthemum loved her name until she started school.  The children thought her name was different and teased her about being named after a flower.  Now, Chrysanthemum does not like her name until she meets Mrs. Twinkle.  Everyone loves Mrs. Twinkle.  When she hears them tease Chrysanthemum, she tells them that her first name is Delphinium.  When Mrs. Twinkle has a baby, she gives it a special name.  Ask your child to tell you what it is.

Small Groups:  The activities for this week are listed in yesterday's post.  The schedule for today was:
Activity #1  Yellow Group
Activity #2  Green Group
Activity #3  Red Group

Letter Learning:  The children drew Mat Man one more time.  This time, they drew it in their Writing Journal.

Large Group:  The children learned a new game that we call Four Corners.  Ask your child to tell you how to play.

Snacks:  The morning snack was waffles, cantaloupe, and juice brought by Hattie.  The afternoon snack was cheese sticks and juice brought by Isabelle.  Thank you, Hattie and Isabelle!

Family Night is tonight from 6:30-7:30 pm.  See you then!

Group Meeting:  We have two important events happening tomorrow.  I wanted to let the children know what to expect tomorrow for picture day and for Parent Night.  I took a few minutes to explain and answer any questions.

Story:  The story for today was Mat Man Shapes by Jan Olsen.  In this book, Mat Man does not have his usual rectangle mat for a body.  Instead, he has various shapes.  The story line imagines what Mat Man would do if he had a different shape for a body.

Small Groups:  The activities for this week are listed below along with the schedule for today.
Activity #1  The children were introduced to a Name Book.  This book is what we will use to learn how to print names using one uppercase letter and the rest lower case letters.  This week, the children will be tracing their names.
Activity #2  The children listened to directions on which color to use to color Mat Man's body shapes.  This went this the story Mat Man Shapes.
Activity #3  The children participated in a gross motor activity in which they threw bean bags through hoops.

Letter Learning:  The children drew pictures of Mat Man which will be on the bulletin board in the hallway.  We are hoping that all of our families will check them out tomorrow night!

Large Group:  I introduced the children to our Quiet Cube.  This is something new that the staff learned about at a professional development class.  The Quiet Cube is used when a child wishes to have a little quiet time on their own.  It has a pillow, a few squishy toys, and books.  The children were told that they were welcome to use this whenever they feel that they need it.

Snacks:  The morning snack was bananas, peanut butter, and milk brought by Hudson.  The afternoon snack was carrots and cheese sticks brought by Isla.  Thank you, Hudson and Isla!

I've had a request for the Peeny Butter Fudge recipe.  It's an easy one.
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1 pkg of chocolate chips

Melt the peanut butter and milk together on medium heat for about 10 minutes stirring often so that it is creamy.  Remove from the heat.  Dump in the chocolate chips and stir until melted.  Pour into a greased (I used parchment paper for easy removal) 9 x 9" pan.  Cool in the refrigerator.  Cut and eat.

Group Meeting:  Our movement activity before Group Meeting starts was "Dinosaur Stomp" by Koo Koo Kangaroo.  I will use a lot of their songs throughout the year.  They are clever and get the kids moving.  They also have a few that I will not use due to "potty" language.  If you're looking for a video to get your kids moving, Koo Koo Kangaro can make it fun.

Story:  The story for today was another re-read.  I read Charlie Anderson.  This book is about a cat who comes to live with Elizabeth and Sarah.  When he disappears one night, they find out that Charlie also lives at another house.  I was pleased with how well the children could answer questions from the first read. 

Small Groups:  The children watched a video about playing with friends.  This went along with the Let's Find Out magazine.  The children had to cut the magazine in half to create a little book.  

Letter Learning:  I drew Mat Man on the chalkboard.  I asked the children to close their eyes while I erased a part of Mat Man.  They had to discover what was missing.  Then, the children drew Mat Man on paper.  Perhaps some of you are wondering what Mat Man has to do with Letter Learning.  Well, before the children can make the letters, we need a little practice in making lines and curves. 

Snacks:  The morning class had a King and a Queen today.  So, our snacks were Clementines oranges, cheese, and milk brought by Laurel and Jake.  The afternoon class snack was carrots and cheese sticks brought by Julian.  Thank you Laurel, Jake and Julian!

AM Parents:  There was a little mix up with the notes that went home this morning.  The Open House time for Tuesday, September 24th is 6:30-7:30, not 5:30-6:30.

Drawing Mat Man

Group Meeting:  Mat Man has been very popular since coming to our classroom on Monday.  I saw pictures of him on our chalkboards in the Outdoor Classroom.  At the art table, I saw him on the easel.  He always looks great!

Story:  Today, I did a re-read of a story from last week.  I will often do re-reads as I think it is beneficial to visit a story more than once.  So, I read Peeny Butter Fudge by Toni Morrison.  This is the story of Nana and her grandchildren.  Following the story, someone said, "I wish we could eat Peeny Butter Fudge."  Fortunately, I had made some last night and everyone was invited to try a piece.

Small Groups: The activities for this week were listed in Monday's post.  The schedule for today was:
Activity #1  Green Group
Activity #2  Red Group
Activity #3  Yellow Group

Letter Learning:  The children drew Mat Man on little chalk boards.  They listened to the song about Mat Man and followed along with the song.

Large Group:  The children went to the Outdoor Classroom. 

Snacks:  The morning snack was cheese sticks and cantaloupe brought by Kinsley.  The afternoon snack was yogurt and raspberries brought by Logan.  Thank you, Kinsley and Logan!

Story:  The story for today was Henri's Scissors by Jeanette Winter.  This is the story of the artist Henri Emile Matisse.  When Henri was young, he loved to paint.  He went to school to become a lawyer, but loved painting so much that he changed his plans and became an artist.  When he was older, he became ill and could not longer stand or walk.  It was then that he discovered that he could make art by cutting painted pictures with a scissors.   I like this book because it is a true story, but is written at a child's level.

Small Groups:  The activities for this week are listed in yesterday's post.  The schedule for today was:
Activity #1  Yellow Group
Activity #2 Red Group
Activity #3 Green Group

Letter Learning:  The children helped me assemble Mat Man.  They put all of the body pieces in the right place.  Tomorrow, we will learn to draw Mat Man.  Here's a picture of Mat Man.

Large Group:  The children went to the Outdoor Classroom.

Snacks:  The morning snack was Belvita bars and juice provided by the preschool.  The Queen for the day was ill.   We hope she is better soon.  The afternoon snack was yogurt and bananas brought by Lydia.  Thank you, Lydia!

Mat Man

Story:  The story for today was Too Much Glue! by Jason Lefebvre.  In this story, a boy uses too much glue during art class.  The glue gets all over him.  Things get stuck to him, and he ends up being stuck to his desk.  The teacher, the nurse, and the principal do not know what to do.  Fortunately, his dad does.  Ask your child to tell you how dad gets him unstuck.

Small Groups:  The small group activities for this week are listed below along with the schedule for today.
Activity #1  (Red Group)  The children listened to the story Clifford Goes to Dog School by Norman Bridwell.  This is a part of a literacy program that I will be using throughout the school year call Read It Again.  Today, we discussed the words beg, heel, shake, and stay.
Activity #2  (Yellow Group)  The children learned how to use the school glue.  They practiced making dots with the glue bottle by saying "just a dot, not a lot".
Activity #3  (Green Group)  The children practiced holding a scissors correctly and snipping small pieces of paper.

Letter Learning:  The children learned about Mat Man.  Mat Man is made using the large and small lines and curves that we learned about last week.  Mat Man will teach us how to draw a person that includes all of the body parts.

Snacks:  The morning snack was apples, peanut butter, and milk brought by Lucy.  The afternoon snack was apples, cheese sticks, and milk brought by Madelyn.  Thank you, Lucy and Madelyn!

Group Meeting:  Today was the first Birthday Day of the school year.  I explained to the children that on Birthday Day, we do a cooking activity.  Our cooking project was French Toast.  We made this in Small Groups right before play time.

Story:  The book that I read today was Apple, Oranges, Pears, and Plums.  This is a book of the months of the year with the children's names included during the month of their birthday.  We will refer to this book throughout the year as we celebrate birthdays.

Small Groups:  The children made French Toast.  They cracked eggs into a bowl, whisked the eggs together, dipped the bread in the egg, and placed it on a baking sheet.  We sprinkled a little bit of cinnamon sugar on top.  I put the baking sheet in the oven until snack time.  I managed to get a few pictures of this.

Large Group:  The children completed a Let's Find Out magazine about sharing.  We watched the accompanying video about how to share in the classroom.  They completed the maze and coloring section on the back.

Snacks:  The children ate the French Toast with juice or water.  We lit a candle for each birthday child and sang Happy Birthday.  We use Little Debbie Brownies as our Birthday Brownies.

Group Meeting: The children danced to The Body Boogie.  It's fun to watch everyone dance!

Story:  The story for today was Peeny Butter Fudge by Toni Morrison.  In this story, Mom is leaving the children with Nana for the day.  Mom has a list of things for the children to do, but Nana has her own plan.  The children listen to stories, have a gunny sack race, dance, do a puzzle, and pretend to be a doctor for Nana.  But, the best activity that Nana has planned is making Peeny Butter Fudge.  Ask your child to tell you what happens when Mom comes to pick them up.  Is she happy?  Why  not and what makes her happy?

Small Groups:  The activities for this weeks small groups are listed in yesterday's post.  The schedule for today was:
Activity #1  Yellow Group
Activity #2 Green Group
Activity #3  Red Group

Letter Learning:  The children sang the song "Where Do You Start Your Letters?"  from yesterday.  Then they listened to "The Ant, the Bug and the Bee".  After the song, they made lines on a paper, drawing from the ant at the top to the bottom, just like ants walking on the wall.

Snacks:  The morning snack was Belvita bars and carrots brought by Ram.  The afternoon snack was bagels, cream cheese, and blueberries brought by Rory.  Thank you, Ram and Rory!

Note for afternoon parents:  I will be absent tomorrow afternoon to attend a funeral.  Mrs. Smith will be helping Mrs. Heimendinger and Mrs. Yocom.

Group Meeting:  I have been very pleased with how well the children have learned our daily routine.  They are learning very quickly!

Story:  I read Charlie Anderson written by Barbara Abercrombie.  Charlie is a cat that came to live with Elizabeth and Sarah.  He sleeps with them at night, but goes to the woods during the day.  One night, he doesn't come home.  Elizabeth and Sarah are very worried about him.  The next day, they search for him, asking the neighbors if they have seen him.   Ask your child to tell you where they found Charlie and why his name is Charlie Anderson. 
In this book, the girls find out that Charlie has two homes.  They also have two homes.  They live with their mom during the week and with their dad and stepmother on the weekends.  I like how this book ends by saying Charlie and the girls have two homes that love them.

Small Groups:   We started small groups today.  A note in your child's bag will explain how we do this.  I will list all of the small group activities today and the rotation throughout the week.
Activity #1 (Red Group)  The children explored the wooden pieces that we will use to make letters.   We call them big lines, little lines, big curves, and little curves.
Activity #2 (Yellow Group) The children sorted bear manipulatives by color and by size.
Activity #3 (Green Group)  The children drew self-portraits in their writing journals.

Letter Learning:  The children listened to the song "Where Do You Start Your Letters?"  They practiced starting at the top by drawing lines from the top of the paper to the bottom using the smiley face on the paper as a starting point.

Large Group:  The children used the wooden big lines to tap along with the song "Tap, Tap, Tap."

Snacks:  The morning snack was blueberry Belvita bars and milk brought by Sophia.  The afternoon snack was apples and granola bars brought by Ryan.  Thank you, Sophia and Ryan!

Group Meeting:  The children are learning the Pledge of Allegiance.  The King or Queen of the day (snack person) holds the flag while we recite the words.  They are picking it up very quickly!

Story:  The story for today was Pete the Cat: My Four Groovy Buttons by Eric Litwin.  Pete the Cat is wearing his favorite yellow shirt with four buttons.  One button pops off.  How many does Pete have left?  Does Pete cry?  The children help subtract the buttons while Pete remains cool.  Ask your child to tell you what happens when Pete runs out of buttons.

Large Group:  The children listened to the rules about taking care of our world.  Then, they watched a video that goes along with the Let's Find Out Magazine that they are bringing home today.  The video was about class rules and went well with everything that we have been talking about this week.  Please take a few minutes to look at the magazine with your child.

Snacks:  The morning snack was cereal and cheese sticks brought by Sawyer.  The snack for the afternoon was oranges and cheese sticks brought by Silas.  Thank you, Sawyer and Silas!

Group Meeting:  We have begun monthly math journals that we work in every day.  Yesterday, the children colored the cover of the journal.  Today, the directions were; draw 1 red apple, draw 1 green apple, count the apples.  The math journals provide math concepts as well as practice in following directions.

Story:  The story for today was A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni.    This is the story of a chameleon  who wishes that he didn't change colors.  Other animals have their own colors.  He decides to stay on a leaf  and be green.  However, in the Fall, the leaf changes and  he does too.  Then he meets a chameleon friend.  Ask your child to tell you what he discovers with his new friend.

Large Group:  Zoey and Max gave the children examples of ways that we can keep our school safe and clean.

Letter Learning:  The children sang the song "Pick Up a Crayon" and practiced holding a crayon.  They colored fireworks to practice making back and forth motions with the crayon.

Snacks:  The snack for the morning class was grapes and yogurt brought by Tristan.  The afternoon snack was applesauce and cheese sticks brought by Tate.  Thank you, Tristan and Tate!

Pick Up a Crayon

Group Meeting:  I introduced the Job Chart.  At clean up time, every child is assigned an area to clean.  Some areas have 5 workers, others have only one or two.  When the bell rings, the children stop what they are doing, go to the job chart and find their name, and go the area that they are supposed to clean.  Once we get into the routine, clean up time will go very quickly!

Story:  The story for today was Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes.  Wemberly worries about everything.   Her parents try to remind her to not worry, but Wemberly worries.  Her new worry is about going to school.  She wonders; Will I have a friend?,  Will the teacher be mean?, Will the children like me?  Ask your child to tell you what happens when she gets to school.   Following the story, we held a discussion on what to do if you are worried.  We assured the children that we are there to help them if they become worried about anything.

Large Group:  Zoey and Max discussed our rule "We help take care of each other."  The children took turns picking cards that had ideas of how we can care for each other. 

Letter Learning:  The children learned the correct way to hold a crayon.  A note concerning this is in their bags today.

Snacks:  The morning snack was bread, peanut butter, and milk brought by Weston.  The afternoon snack was yogurt and bananas brought by Vivienne.  Thank you, Weston and Vivienne!