Well we only got a tiny bit of (icy) snow last weekend, but the children were very excited to tell us about their adventures. Some made tiny snowmen, went sledding, “ice skated” in their boots, and some caught snowflakes with their tongues! We continued our exploration of ice and snow in the classroom, too.
We painted ice and watched as it melted and mixed with the paints. We played with pretend snow in the sensory table- skewering it with the Yeti’s spaghetti 🤣 and building by moistening one end of the packing peanut snow and sticking the pieces together (just like snowballs). We painted with watercolors and revealed hidden snowflakes drawn with crayon. Then some friends tried drawing their own pictures to paint over! We also pretended shaving cream was snow and used it to draw pictures and letters.
Along with talking about the wintry weather, we have been learning about polar animals. We added polar animals to our block and sensory areas. We sorted them and other animals into their habitats. And we learned some new names for them. For example, reindeer can be called caribou!! That one was a fun word to say! We read about the caribou, arctic fox, polar bear, seal, walrus, and musk ox. On Friday we did an experiment to feel how blubber helps keep the animals warm (we will do it on Tuesday, also).
The Ladybugs are working on some new literacy skills. We practiced rhyming words and matched mittens that had pictures that rhymed. We also practiced making straight and diagonal lines as we tried to draw snowflakes. This will help as they begin to write letters soon.
It was Reese’s 4th birthday last Sunday, so we celebrated with her and her parents on Monday! Happy Birthday, Reese!!
UPCOMING EVENTS:
School is closed this Monday, January 20
During the week of Jan. 27th we will be focusing on bears, hibernation and shadows (Groundhog Day, ya know). The children may bring a favorite bear (or other stuffie if there is no bear) to play with at school during that week. Please make sure it is small enough to fit into their backpack!!
Pancakes and Pajamas - We will have pancakes and get to wear our PJ’s to school on Wednesday/Thursday, January 29th/30th. Watch for more details coming from our Room Reps, but for now, please mark your calendars.
LOOKING AHEAD
Our annual Valentine Dance will be on Friday, Feb. 7 from 6:00-7:30 pm. Put on your dancing clothes and shoes! The fellowship hall will be transformed into a party! This event is for your whole family. It’s always a favorite!
Valentine’s Day we ask that everyone please send 11 cards signed by your child (do not write friend’s names on them) for them to “mail” to each friend. Bring your cards the week of February 10th. We will make “mailboxes” at school. Give your child a chance to help create their valentines in some way. This can be by adding stickers, drawing a picture, writing their name on their own (or even just a letter or two), or decorating homemade cards. Whatever they do will give them ownership & pride and make the experience of delivering the cards soooo meaningful to them ❤️
One more thing…We will be discussing community helpers in February, and we’d love to have some parents come to visit and teach us about their jobs! We have had dentists, physical therapists, artists, doctors, carpenters- all sorts of interesting jobs to learn about in past years. Let us know if you’d like to share something about your work with our class, and we can schedule a time!
Have a wonderful weekend with your little Ladybug!