Dear Parents,
Lots of news to report! We are thoroughly enjoying our Mangrove unit. We will continue this unit next week by learning about the water cycle, measuring frog hops, using the directional words 'above' and 'below' and learning a new SWAMP song sung to the tune of Bingo. Below are more curriculum highlights: Water Table: Water beads with branches Playdough: Sand foam and flowers Literacy: Journal Entry: My swamp animal _________________. Table for Two: Cutting snakes Sand Table: Mud with shells and turtles Science: Rain cloud experiments We also wanted to share some information about our small group instruction. Our preschoolers are loving this structured time and are ready for the challenge! We are now running small group activities both in the early morning and late afternoon, as well as 2x a week during choice time. All of these activities foster skill building but also fold in lots of language as well as social skill building! We will hang more detailed information and photos on one of the bulletin boards in the hallway. As always let us know if you have questions or would like more information! IMPORTANT NEWS AND EVENTS: 1. We will have Music with Hugh Hanley next Thursday, April 6th at 11:30am. If this is a day your child does not attend school please feel free to join us. 2. We will have a special visit from Barn Babies on Wednesday, April 12th at 10am. This is one of the highlights of the school year. They bring a variety of adorable baby animals including kittens, puppies and the famous baby goat in a diaper. 3. Newton Public Schools will be closed on Friday, April 14th in observance of Good Friday. NPS will then be closed that following week for April vacation (4/17-4/21). We will be open for a full day until 4pm on Thursday, April 13th. 4. We will be going on our class field trip after vacation on Tuesday, April 25th. We will be going to the Ecotarium in Worcester, MA. The Ecotarium is a fabulous science museum and well worth the drive! Check out their website if you have a moment at EcoTarium | science. nature. explore. connect. We will be asking parents to sign a permission slip in the next week or two at drop off or pick up. We will send more details (times, itinerary, lunches, etc) as the date gets closer. 5. A few of our preschoolers have made a guest appearance as a Mystery Reader and it has sparked an interest. A lot of our friends have been asking if they can read too and we are happy to oblige. We understand that some friends are reading while others are still learning. If your child would like to read a familiar text, such as, Goodnight Gorilla or Brown Bear, Brown Bear that is a great way for them to share. We are also happy to help sound out words and read with them! Let us know if your child has shown interest but is a little worried and we can help make it happen! The website has been updated with recent pics so be sure to check them out. Have a great weekend and stay warm! Best, Lauren and Rachel Dear Parents,
What a fun week! We just wanted to take a moment to say how exciting it is to watch what is happening in the classroom. This time of year is the best! Our preschoolers are gaining confidence by the minute and the learning abounds! We see friends organizing themselves and planning their days independently, signing in their first and last names with detail, showing a deep sense of kindness and empathy towards each other, writing/ telling Kindergarten or 1st grade level stories, reading books to each other, devising fun and creative activities on their own accord and being all around awesome. We love seeing this! We will continue our unit on Outer Space next week with a few minor changes to classroom centers. See curriculum highlights below: Art Table: Astronaut helmets and alien masks Literacy: Moon Dust Writing Playdough: Green dough with googly eyes and pipe cleaners Science: Making rocket ships with cups and rubber bands Math: Constellations Easel: Gel Bags Table for Two: Tin Foil Pet Rocks IMPORTANT REMINDERS AND EVENTS: 1. We have tallied the votes and we are having a pajama/ cookie pizza party for our Kindness Party. We are going to make a big pizza size cookie with all the toppings. We will have our party next Tuesday, March 21st. The website has been updated with recent pics so be sure to check them out! Have a great weekend! Best, Lauren, Rachel and Brittany Dear Parents,
We are so happy that our concert went off without a hitch. We had so much fun pulling this musical production off! Next week we will start a unit on Outer Space. Dexter made a cool diorama of Outer Space and our preschoolers had so many questions! We will learn lots about the solar system, go to astronaut training camp, eat like we are in outer space and incorporate some space yoga. Check out the curriculum highlights below: Dramatic Play: Space Station Art Center: Night Sky Mural Building Rug: NASA Building Lab (building a satellite) Math: Making star garland Table for Two: Marble painting Playdough: Galaxy Slime IMPORTANT EVENTS AND REMINDERS: 1. Our preschoolers have earned another kindness party. They have been very kind and supportive to each other and we are feeling the love! We will vote next week on what kind of party and keep you posted. 2. We are in need of 2 big boxes (appliance size). If you have one we would gladly recycle it! 3. If you have any space related books or theme related materials we would love to borrow them! The website has been updated with recent pics so be sure to check them out! Have a great weekends and stay warm! Best, Lauren, Rachel and Brittany Dear Parents,
We are kicking off the month of March with a unit on good old 'Rock and Roll'. We are learning about all different types of music and instruments. We will also do a concert next week of the Pete the Cat book I Love My White Shoes. Our preschoolers are really excited about this and have been making instruments and rehearsing! Below is a list of our concert roll call: Lead Singer/Guitar: Dylan Drummers: Caleb, Loah, Amar, Ayden, Izhak, Ariz, Ethan Singers: Kathik, Ella, Dexter, Shiamak Guitar: Phin, Kaasni, Max, Charlotte, Clara Piano: Sam Stage Builder/ Lights: Noah and Skyler Directors: Asha and Kate Our concert will be next Tuesday, March 7th at 10:45am for P1. We will do an encore presentation Wednesday, March 8th at 12:30pm if parents would like to pop in before pick up. Below are some other rockin' curriculum highlights: Literacy: Making backstage passes Science: Experiment- How sound makes vibrations Building Rug: Making instruments out of recyclables Easel: Paint brushes with bells Math: Counting rocks and roll...the dice Sand Table: Rice and eggs to make shakers IMPORTANT NEWS AND EVENTS: 1. We will have music with Hugh Hanley next Wednesday, March 8th at 11:35am. 2. We are looking for flashlights to borrow for our concert next week. If you have one we could use it would be greatly appreciated. (PS- we are done collecting milk jugs. Thank you so much for donating!) 3. Many of our preschoolers are attending their kindergarten screenings. Your school will ask that you have your child/children's teacher fill out a K registration form. If your child is attending a Newton Public school we already have the form here. We will fill them out and send the forms collectively. If your child is not attending NPS please bring the form in and we will send it off. Thanks! The website has been updated with recent pics so be sure to check them out! Have a great weekend! Best, Lauren, Rachel and Brittany |
HedgehogsWelcome to the Hedgehog blog. This page is where you can access information about your child’s classroom. We will update our classroom blogs weekly (and sometimes more often) with updates regarding fun activities, important dates and events, curriculum and classroom photos. Be sure to check it out! Archives
May 2018
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