Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Thank you for joining us on our Tuesday!

A couple of reminders:

Christmas Giving Project...Each year the students and families of Zion have the opportunity to donate to a charity during the Christmas season.  This year, our class is going to donate toys to St. Louis Children's Hospital.  These toys are used in various places throughout the hospital including children's playrooms, emergency unit, radiology, Same Day Surgery, etc.   Your child will have the opportunity to donate new, unwrapped toy(s) until Friday, December 19th.  We have a large wrapped box in the classroom for the donated items. The following Monday, Dec. 22nd, the toys will be delivered to Children's Hospital.  (Please see the email sent on Sunday, 11/23 for a list of MOST WANTED items!)

The Preschool/Kindergarten Christmas Service is at 4:00 pm this Sunday, December 14 (children arrive at 3:45 in church basement).  Please plan to join us as we celebrate Jesus birthday through worship and song! 

Our day started off with a "wacky" schedule...First, we had a different check-in. 

"How many gingerbread cookies tall are you?"  Each child then found that number on the graph and wrote his/her name in the correct column.

After everyone had checked in, we decided that 11 cookies had the most with 7.  And that 10 and 12 cookies were the same with 3 each.  (Comparing and understanding more, less, and the same are early math skills).

 Second "wacky" part of our day...we had a small amount of time for free choice this morning.  (Why you may ask??? We headed up to church at 8:20 to "rehearse" our song for the Christmas service on Sunday.)

Some friends chose to make more toilet tube ornaments for our tree (it looks great, by the way!)

While others improved fine motor control with candy construction creations.

Wiggle worm is back...and this week he brought snowflakes with uppercase letters on them.  If a friend picked a letter out of the bag, he/she showed the class, then said the letter name and the letter sound! (Recognizing/Identifying letters and their sounds are early literacy skills!)

If he/she picked the wiggle worm, the class gets to wiggle, wiggle, wiggle.  But, when I say, "STOP" everyone has to FREEZE!  A super fun way to practice listening and self regulation!

Then...one more "wacky" change...we had chapel in the commons today (the 3rd and 4th graders had practice for their advent service in the church).  Mrs. Hoehner led our worship today and she reminded us that Christmas is coming, showing us many things that she loves about Christmas.  Cards in the mail, decorations, stockings, Christmas books, and presents!  Her gift read it was to everyone, from God.  What could it be??? She unwrapped a picture of baby Jesus...the BEST gift ever.  But, he was more than a baby, he grew up and died on the cross for everyone!

 Science Time!!

Scientist Mudd arrived and with some help from her preschool friends, began making a solution with water, ammonia, bluing, and salt!

 Then we stirred and stirred and stirred!!!

Scientist Mudd asked each friend what he/she thought would happen when we put the cardboard tree (with green food coloring on it) in the solution...

A few answers:

"It will turn blue"

"It will float."

"It will bubble."

Once again, scientist Mudd tricked the class!  Nothing happened, it just sat there!  Today we learned that some times things don't happen right away, we have to be patient and keep checking our tree over the next few days!

Time for small groups (centers)!

Our Christmas tree numbers were all messed up and we needed them put back in order. (Identifying/recognizing numbers and sequencing are early math skills).  Success for some was being about to put 1 - 10 in order, while success for others was putting 1 - 20 in order!

In the block center we improved hand-eye coordination as we worked together to build a stable for baby Jesus!

With Mrs. Dose we worked on creating "My Winter Scene" with paint, cookie cutters, and paint brushes.  Each child could choose to use my example as a guide, or they could choose his/her own scene!

Then...you guessed it...more "top secret" projects with me!!!