Tuesday, February 28

Group Meeting:  Today, we said goodbye to the simple machines.  If your child brought a simple machine to school, it should be in their bag today.  We did have a few items left over that lost their name tags.  I'll have them available at Parent/Teacher conferences for anyone who is missing an item.

Story:  The story for today was How Do You Lift a Lion? by Robert E. Wells.   This is a book that I read at the beginning of our study.  This time, it was easier for children to see how a lever could lift a lion, wheels could make a panda move on a pallet, and a pulley would make it easy to deliver bananas to a baboon birthday party.

Small Groups:  We spent playtime outdoors since the weather was so nice.  It was good to get out and run around.

Large Group:  The children used the parachute to play a number game.  We put number cards on the parachute.  The children had to shake them off.  When all of the cards were off of the parachute, they picked one up to identify.

Snack:  The snack for today was applesauce, milk and water.

AM book (yesterday):  The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle brought by Konnor.

AM book (today):  Paw Patrol-Five Minute Stories Collection by Nickelodeon brought by Cecilia

PM book: Under the Sea by Usborne brought by Auggie

Monday, February 27

Group Meeting:  The handshake for this week is the fist bump.  We tried to fist bump as many friends as we could during our song.

Story:  The book that I read today was Simple Machines by Erin Seagraves and Heather Baker.  I read this story at the beginning of our Simple Machine study.  As Ama walks through her apartment building, she sees people using simple machines to do their daily work.  When I read it this time, I left out the word of the simple machine to see if the children could name it.  They did a pretty good job!

Letter Learning:  The letter for today was Yy.  We did yoga with Yoyo and traced and printed the letter Yy.

Large Group:  We sorted the simple machines that the children have been bringing throughout our study.  We sorted them into groups of levers, screws, wheels, wedges, and inclined planes.

Play Buddies:  At the start of play time, the children were given a buddy chosen by me to play with for 10 minutes.  They had to decide what area to play in together.  After 10 minutes, they could choose to stay with that friend or play somewhere else.  This is to help us explore playing with new friends and trying new play areas.

Snack:  The snack for today was Belivta Bars, juice and water.

Thursday, February 23

Group Meeting:  We had a great pajama day!  We started by dancing to "Pajama Time".

Story:  We watched Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney on the Promethean board.  We turned off the lights and ate popcorn while watching.  Llama Llama has been tucked into bed by his mama.  She goes into the kitchen to do some chores and talk on the phone.  Llama Llama can't sleep.  He calls for Mama.  When Mama doesn't come, he gets nervous.  He yells for her.  Mama comes running and finds that nothing is wrong.  Llama Llama just missed his mama.  Mama is always there.

Letter Learning:  The letter for today was Xx.  We traced and printed the letter.

Let's Find Out:  Our magazine for today was about dental health.  We watched a video which told of ways that we can keep our teeth healthy.  For more information, go to letsfindout.com  Login as a student and use the password redeemer.

Snack:  The children watched me use a big popcorn popper to make our snack.  I explained what causes the popcorn to pop.  We ate our popcorn during the movie and had juice boxes as well.

March newsletters were sent home with a permission form for the field trip to the fire station.

AM book:  Little Critter's Joke Book by Mercer Mayer brought by Hazel.

PM book:  Nibbles Numbers by Emma Yarlett brought by Calvin.

Wednesday, February 22

Group Meeting:  Tomorrow will be Pajama Day.  I let the children help me make a few plans for tomorrow.  It should be a fun day!

Story:  The story for today was Dinosaur Woods by George McClements.  The animals that live in the woods are going to lose their homes due to construction.  The animals wonder how they can save the woods from destruction.  The fox has an idea.  They will build a dinosaur and scare away the people.  When the dinosaur falls apart, the animals are discovered.  Will they lose their home?  Ask your child to tell you what happens. 

Small Groups:  The assessment that we must complete for the state is due on Friday.  During Small Groups this week, I have been doing a few activities to collect some information for the assessment and will be sharing that with you at conferences.

Letter Learning:  The letter for today was Ww.  We did creative walking and traced and printed the letter Ww.  This letter was a little difficult.  Diagonal lines are challenging.

Large Group:  The children loved the obstacle course last week, so I made another one today.  This one involved stepping stones, the crawling tunnel, bean bags and hurdles.

Snack:  The snack for today was Life cereal, milk, and water.

AM book:  Magical Unicorn Dreams by Louise Tate brought by Brynlee

PM book: Secret Pizza Party by Adam Rubin brought by Enzo.

Tuesday, February 21

Group Meeting:  Our handshake for this week is the Saw Handshake.  Pretend you are a lumberjack and try this with your child.

Story:  The book that I read today was Pull, Lift, Lower: A Book About Pulleys by Michael Dahl.  This nonfiction book gave us several examples of how pulleys are used.  A few examples were pulleys on a flag pole, on window blinds, and on an elevator.  Ask your child to look around your home or neighborhood to find pulleys in action.

Small Groups:  The children were invited to go to the art table to experiment with different thing with which to paint.  They tried a potato masher, a fork, a dish scrubber, a foam roller, and a foam mop.  

Letter Learning:  The letter for today was Vv.  We danced like volcanos and traced and printed the letter Vv.

Study:  I had several examples of simple machines for the children to try; a inclined plane, a gear, a wheel, and a pulley.  Tomorrow, we will try to build a pulley to lift things in the classroom.

Snack:  The snack for today was canned peaches, milk and water.

AM book:  No Kimchi For Me! by Aram Kim brought by Malia 

PM book:  Little Penguin Gets the Hiccups by Tadgh Bentley brought by Aurora

Thursday, February 16

 No School today due to the weather.  No School on Monday, February 20th for President's Day.  

Wednesday, February 15

Group Meeting:  After Valentines Day, we are back to learning about simple machines.  We are learning about all kinds of wheels.

Story:  The story for today was What Do Wheels Do All Day? by April Prince.  This non-fiction book gave us pictures of different kinds of wheels.  We typically think of cars, bicycles, and wagon wheels.  However, a helicopter has a wheel, a windmill has a wheel, and a pizza cutter can be a wheel.  

Small Groups:  The children were given a picture of a snow scene.  They had to listen to the directions to add items and color items.  It was a good exercise in listening and following.

Large Group:  The children played "Jump the River".  I laid two jump ropes parallel to each other on the floor.  We pretended that there was a river running in between them.  The children had to jump over the river.  The river got wider and wider causing us to jump farther and farther.

Letter Learning:  The letter for today was Uu.  We moved to the song "Up and Down" and traced and printed the letter Uu.

Snack:  The snack for today was whole wheat waffles, milk and water.

AM book:  Five Little Monkeys Trick or Treat by Eileen Christelow brought by Harper.

PM book:  Our afternoon Queen is still on the mend.  

Please watch for notifications tomorrow.  I hear a snow storm has been predicted.  We will use the brightwheel system and put it on this blog.  If Bettendorf Public Schools cancel, we will too.

Tuesday, February 14

Group Meeting:  Happy Valentines Day!  Since today was a party day, we didn't do Math Journals or Letter Learning.  Instead, we played games and opened Valentines from our friends.

Story:  The story for today was The Valentine Bears by Eve Bunting.  Mr. and Mrs. Bear have never celebrated Valentines Day because they are usually hibernating.  This year, Mrs. Bear decides to set her alarm and wake up to surprise Mr. Bear with Valentines.  However, when it's time to wake up Mr. Bear, she can't get him to open his eyes.  Ask your child to tell you how she plans to wake up Mr. Bear and if it works.

Snack:  The children enjoyed the Valentine cookies and snack mixes brought by the Party Parents.  We want to thank them for their help today.  It was a very nice party!

AM book:  Big Rig Rescue by Chris Gall brought by Dillon

PM book:  The Queen for today was absent due to illness.  We hope she's able to return tomorrow!

Monday, February 13

Group Meeting:  The handshake for this week is "back to back".  Your child can show you how it's done.  We've been learning two songs about love.  Your child may be able to sing "A Little Red Box" and "Love Grows".

Story:  The story for today was I Love You, Blue Kangaroo by Emma Clark.    Lily has a stuffed kangaroo that she sleeps with every night.  When she goes to sleep, she says, "I love you, Blue Kangaroo".  One day, her aunt gives her a teddy bear.  She puts the bear right next to her in bed which moves Blue Kangaroo to the side.  As she receives more stuffed animals, Blue Kangaroo is slowly moved to the end of the bed, and one night, falls out.  Blue Kangaroo walks to her brothers room and gets in bed with him.  Will Lily miss him?  Will she get him back?  Ask your child to tell you what Lily has to do to get Blue Kangaroo.

Small Groups:  The children were given boxes of conversation hearts to sort by color.  They put the hearts on a line graph to see which color they had the most of and which they had the least of.

Large Group:  The morning class played a sorting game.  It was so nice outside by the afternoon that we took the children outside to draw on the sidewalk.

Letter Learning:  The letter for today was Tt.  The afternoon class ran out of time to trace and print the letter Tt.  We put it in their bags for them to do at home.

Snack:  The snack for today was cheese slices, Wheat Thins, and water.  

AM book:  There is a Giraffe in My Soup by Ross Burach brought by Lucy.

PM book:  You're All My Favorites by Sam McBratney brought by Mary.

Tomorrow is our Valentines party.  If your child has not brought Valentines to school yet, please do so tomorrow.  Thanks!

Thursday, February 9

Group Meeting:  The children are starting to "mail" their Valentines.  If your child hasn't brought Valentines yet, they can do so on Monday.  

Story:  The story for today was Pancakes, Pancakes by Eric Carle.  When Jack wakes up one morning, he tells his mother that he wants pancakes for breakfast.  His mother tells him he must help gather the ingredients.  He takes the wheat to the miller for flour, gets eggs from the chickens, milks the cow, churns butter, and collects wood for the wood stove.  Then he helps his mother mix the batter and flip the pancakes.  Jack puts something sweet on his pancakes.  Ask your child to tell you what it is.

Small Groups:  The children took turns helping me mix the batter for pancakes.  With oven mitts on both hands, they took turns flipping the pancakes on the griddle.  Ask your child to tell you the color of the pancakes.

Letter Learning:  The letter for today was Ss.  The children traced and printed the letter Ss.

Let's Find Out:  For Black History month, we learned about the artist Alma Thomas.  Alma like to use lots of colors in her art work.  For more information, go to letsfindout.com  Sign in as a student and use the password redeemer.

Snack:  The children enjoyed the pancakes with the same topping that Jack did.  We had milk and water to drink.

AM book:  Gaston by Kelly Dipucchio brought by Audrey

PM book:  The Princess and the Pea by Hans Christian Andersen and Eve Tharlet brought by Emery

Wednesday, February 8

Group Meeting:  The children have their Valentine boxes decorated.  Tomorrow, we will start to "mail" the Valentines.  

Story:  The story for today was Hugs and Kisses by Christophe Loupy.   Hugs is a puppy who wants to know something.  He leaves the barn where he lives with his family and roams the barnyard looking.  He meets a duck, horse, pig, bunny, and butterfly.  They all give him something that helps him figure out what he wanted to know.  Ask your child to tell you what the animals give him and what he discovers.

Small Groups:  The children were given heart cards with the numerals 1-10 printed on them.  We put them on a 10 frame in numerical order.

Large Group:  The children participated in an obstacle course of crawling, balancing, and hopping using a tunnel, balance beam, and hoops.

Letter Learning:  The letter for today was Rr.  The children moved to Awesome Rainbows and traced and printed the letter R.

Snack:  The snack for today was yogurt, granola, and water.

AM Book: Frozen Search for Olaf by Disney brought by Nalani 

PM Book:  Cinderella by Disney brought by Swayze

Wednesday, February 7

Group Meeting:  We are starting to prepare for our Valentine's Day Party.  We talked about Valentine traditions such as giving cards, candy, hugs and kisses.  

Story:  The story for today was Will You Be My Valentine? by Steven Kroll.  A class of preschoolers are getting ready for Valentines Day.  They take turns picking a name out of a hat and will make one special Valentine for that child.  Thomas has chosen Gretchen.  Thomas really likes Gretchen.  However, Gretchen doesn't like him.  Thomas tries to play with her at school, but Gretchen tells him that she just doesn't like boys.  Thomas' mom has an idea.  Ask your child to tell you what happens next.

Small Groups:  The children were given an emergent reader; Will You Be My Valentine?   We read through it together repeating the words to the story.  The objective of this activity was to have the children become familiar with how a book is read.  We looked at the cover.  We turned the pages one at a time.  We looked at the pictures and pretended to read the words.  Your child may be able to read it to you!

Large Group:  The children played a game in which they had to find a card hidden in the classroom with two pictures on it.  If the pictures rhymed, they placed their card on the smiley face.  If the pictures did not rhyme, they placed it on the frowning face.

Letter Learning:  The letter for today was Qq.  We traced and printed the letter Qq.

Snack:  The snack for today was celery, peanut butter, raisins, milk and water.

PM book:  The Little Red Racing Car by Dwight Knowlton brought by Eli.

Monday, February 6

Group Meeting:  The handshake for this week is the Fish Handshake.  Ask your child to show you how it's done.

Story:  The story for today was Hammer and Nails by Josh Bledsoe.  Darcy is disappointed after finding out that her playdate has been canceled.  Daddy offers to step in as a playmate, but Darcy has to agree to do some things that Daddy wants to do.  Darcy and Daddy take turns selecting activities.  Daddy dresses up in a tutu.  Darcy helps with the yard work.  Daddy teaches Darcy to hammer nails.  Darcy teaches Daddy to do something with another kind of nails.  Ask your child to tell you what it is.

Small Groups:  The children used tissue paper and heart shapes to create window decorations for Valentine's Day.

Letter Learning:  The letter for today was Pp.  The children did the Penguin Dance and traced and printed the letter Pp.

Study:  This week, we will be learning about wedges.  A wedge can hold something in place or separate something into separate pieces.  Ask your child to give you some examples.

Snack:  The snack for today was crackers, cheese sticks and water.

AM book: Froggy Gets Dressed by Jonathan London brought by Isabel.

PM book:  Piggy Pie Po by Audrey and Don Wood brought by Mila.

We will start decorating Valentine boxes tomorrow.  If your child has not brought a box to school yet, please send it tomorrow.  If you need another set of directions, let me know, and I can email them to you.

Thursday, February 2

 My apologies for not posting for the past two days.  I was a little under the weather but returned to school today.

Group Meeting:  Today is Groundhogs Day.  Did the groundhog see his shadow?  It was a sunny day so we are guessing that he did.

Story:  The story for today was Groundhog Day Suit by Dee Smith.  A groundhog is in his burrow getting ready for Groundhogs Day.  He wants to look really good when he comes out of his hole.  He makes a spiffy shirt and decorates it with stars, swirls, and jewels.  He combs his hair and checks himself in the mirror.  Will he see his shadow?

Letter Learning:  The letter for today was Oo.  We danced to the Octopus Dance and traced and printed the letter Oo.

Let's Find Out:  Our magazine was about groundhogs.  The video told us what groundhogs eat, where they live, and how they sound a warning when danger is near.  If you'd like more information, go to letsfindout.com, login as a student and use the password redeemer.

Snack:  The snack for today was wheat bread, turkey slices, milk and water.

AM book:  Frozen II by Disney brought by Jasleen

PM book:  The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle brought by Mya