Apples and Pumpkins

Hello!

We are moving into fall and all the topics that go with it.  We will start the month of October talking about apples.  We will have opportunities to taste, feel, smell, touch, and explore apples to their fullest.  We will even make some applesauce and apple pie.  Mmmm, Mmmm, Good!  After apples we will explore pumpkins and just what it is that is inside of those great, orange orbs.  We'll round out our month with conversations about farm animals, spiders, and monsters.  It should be a fun-filled month. 

The following list is a schedule of events for the month.  It ends up being a relatively short one due to some events for which school is closed.  Andy and I will attend the Oregon Association for the Education of Young Children (OAEYC) conference in the middle of the month and at the end of the month we take some time out of the classroom to call our families to chat about how the progress of school is going.  We have some fun extra events planned so what we miss in the classroom we will make up for with the special events.  

Monday, Oct. 1: Today we will taste some apples and decide which one we like best.  We'll graph the results of what we decided and discuss its results.  We'll make an apple tree with glue bottles (yes, glue bottles!) and we'll learn some apple songs.  Also, please have your child bring an apple to make applesauce with on Wednesday.  I repeat: bring an apple on Wednesday for sharing in the making of applesauce.  :)

Wednesday, Oct. 3: 3s class~We will make apple prints with different types of apples, paint an apple tree, and sing some apple songs.  We'll cut apples to make sauce for apple pies on Friday.  There is no need to bring an apple to class, I will provide apples for the sauce.  The children will be cutting them and tasting them at snack time today.  4s class~We will graph, cut, and cook apples today for applesauce that we will use for apple pie on Friday.  Don't forget to send an apple to class with your child.  We will make apples on the apple trees we started on Monday and we will learn another apple song.

Friday, Oct. 5: 3s class~Today we will make small, individual apple pies and make colorful apple pictures.  We will have applesauce and pie for snack time and we will sing apple songs.  4s class~Today we will make apple pies and do some negative space paintings.  We will eat our pies at snack time.  Yum!

Monday, Oct. 8: This week we will concentrate on pumpkins.  There will be a pumpkin in the science center for the children to touch and play with.  We will have small pumpkins in the block area, we will paint with pumpkins and the children will do an observational painting of a pumpkin. We'll also have pumpkins to dress up.  Fun!

Wednesday, Oct. 10: 3s class~We will use small pumpkins to roll in a tray and make a pumpkin face.  The children will work with a friend to make a jack-o-lantern using a folded piece of paper and paint.  This is a new activity that I am excited to see the outcome.  I'll try to get some good pictures for scrapbooks.  4s class~Today we will use powdered tempera paint in a sifter and then the children will blow bubbles to make a pumpkin.  Also, we will work with a friend to make a jack-o-lantern using folded paper and paint.

Friday, Oct. 12: NO SCHOOL TODAY.  OAEYC CONFERENCE.  NO SCHOOL TODAY.

Monday, Oct. 15: Today we will use our cutting skills to cut a pumpkin shape out of our bubble/tempera project from last week.  We'll use carpet daubers to make a black sky for a pumpkin picture and we'll use shaving cream to make a work of art with.  

Wednesday, Oct. 17: 3s class~Today is our Pumpkin Patch Day!!  We will start class normally and play until about 10:00 a.m.  At 10 we will clean up and gather our things to travel to the pumpkin patch which is located at Teacher Andy's farm.  I will have directions to the farm available that day.  You can send a snack if you would like, but we will have some snacks available.  If you would like to make something pumpkin oriented (pumpkin bread, bars, cookies, etc.) to donate to the cause it would be very much appreciated.  A permission slip will be in your child's pocket under their hook the 2nd week of Oct.  All families are welcome to come and join in the fun.  We will play, eat, pick a pumpkin, listen to a story and go for a short nature walk.  School will end at the farm at 11:40 a.m.  Siblings are welcome.  This is a fun, fun, fun event!  4s class~See 3s class description for all things EXCEPT start location.  We will be starting class AT THE PUMPKIN PATCH.  WE WILL START CLASS AT THE PUMPKIN PATCH.  Class will start at Teacher Andy's farm at 1:00 p.m.  Class will end at the farm at 3:40 p.m.  Be looking for a field trip permission slip in your child's pocket the 2nd week of Oct.

Friday, Oct. 19: 3s class~Today we will talk about the story of the Three Billy Goats Gruff and play act the story while we are outside.  The children will make puppets to go along with the story that they can take home and tell others.  4s class~We will learn the story of the Three Billy Goats Gruff and paint a barn that launches the project of making a farm story that I will encourage the children to "read" on their own.

Monday, Oct. 22: We will continue making our farm books by cutting out animals for the pages.  We will sew the book together with string and "needles."

Wednesday, Oct. 24: 3s~Today we will play with tractors in shaving cream.  We'll color a tractor and use it as a prop to tell the story about a tractor's hard day at work.  Also, we'll learn some nursery rhymes.  4s class~We will also play with tractors in shaving cream and listen to a charming story about a tractor busy at work.  We will make props to go along with the story so the children can sing the song and tell the story at home.  Don't forget the special event happening tonight: Pumpkin Carving and Sing-A-Long tonight in the church Fellowship Hall at 6:30 p.m.  Wear your costumes!!  

Friday, Oct. 26: NO SCHOOL TODAY!  PHONE CONFERENCES.  NO SCHOOL TODAY!  I will start making calls to your home to chat about how school is going.  I will make calls through the weekend if I don't catch you the first time.  I will make calls Thursday, Friday, and Sunday.  If you don't hear from me before Monday, you are welcome to send me an email.  I will do my best to reach all of you before the weekend is over.

Monday, Oct. 29: Today we will start our discussion on spiders.  This is fun because most children think they are afraid of spiders.  We learn so many neat things about them that the children tend to find a feeling of respect for them.  It is a good way to start the conversation about what might be scary to a child.  We will make a spider out of salt dough and we will learn the life cycle of a spider.  

Wednesday, Oct. 31: 3s class~We will start talking about monsters and what makes them scary and how to get rid of them.  We will make a monster face and read the story, Go Away Big, Green Monster by Ed Emberley.  This allows the children an avenue to talk about what is scary to them.  We will NOT be dressing up for Halloween during class today.  We save the costumes for the pumpkin carving event.  4s class~We will continue our study of spiders.  We'll paint the spiders we made on Monday and make some spidery hats.  We won't be dressing up for Halloween during class as we let the children dress up for the pumpkin event.

I hope everything is going well and that the school year has started off smoothly for you.  Everything is going very well in the class room and the children are doing wonderfully.  They make me quite proud.

Don't forget to get outside with the family while the weather is still decent.  Even if it is just to sit on the porch and look at the moon-go outside.  Play a game of tag, or go for a walk or just sit outside for bedtime stories.  It is so worth it and will make everyone feel fortunate to have had the time.  Soon enough we will be stuck inside with the rains and we will miss days like we are having.  It has been a FANTASTIC end-of-summer, start-of-fall season for us.  We are lucky!!  Take care.  If you have any questions about this month's line up you can email me or stop me after class.  Thank you all for your help in the classroom.  If I haven't seen you yet, I look forward to it.  Thank you!!

~Anne.           

      

Welcome Back!

Greetings from the classroom~

Thank you all so much for making the effort to be at the Orientation and the Parent Training.  I feel immensely fortunate to have all of you as my helpers.  It is going to be the best year ever!  

The following schedule will give you an idea of what we will be doing in the classroom.  Please remember that our school is a play-based, fluid organization that takes into consideration the individual needs of each child.  I strive as a teacher to meet the physical, social, emotional, and psychological requirements each child presents to me.  Therefore, it is important as a parent figure to remember that the schedule can change as needed.  It is a guideline that I try to adhere to, but if something seems to be a better choice for the group I will go with it.  I try to read the needs of the children as we go along.  It may seem as though I have a loosely based plan at times, but that is just me trying to decide what will work best for the group and/or individual.  

Look for the blog post at the beginning of each month to give you a clue as to what your child will be learning and playing in school each day.  I can't wait to work with you in the classroom.  The first few weeks are usually a little hectic, but things will settle into a routine and it will become a place of fun, good times, peace, and cooperation.  Here goes...

Wednesday, Sept. 12: 3s~Today we will do some color-mixing and paint-mixing.  We will spend quite a bit of time in the classroom acclimating to each other and our space.  If the group seems ready we will explore in the Art Center (AC) as well.  We will play with play dough, learn a couple of new songs, introduce ourselves to each other, and generally get to know one another.  Don't forget to locate a 4X6 picture of your family for our "Families" wall.  4s~ We will also do some color-mixing, learn new songs, and learn names of new friends.  We'll make Rainbow People and celebrate our similarities and differences.  We will move around the classroom to get used to the surroundings, and we will explore the Art Center (AC).  We will paint the frames for our family pictures.  Please remember to gather or take a 4X6 picture of your family to put on our "Families" wall.  We will be working on the frames this week and be putting them up for display as soon as the last week of September.  Yay! 

Friday, Sept. 14: 3s~This will be a day to review our day on Wednesday.  We will do more color-mixing with large containers. We will draw a picture of ourselves for our scrapbooks and we will attempt to play in the AC.  4s~We will mix colors in large containers, draw a picture of ourselves for our scrapbooks, and see how big we are.  The children will be weighed and measured to record in their scrapbooks.  It is always fun to see just how much they have grown over the school year.  We will do this same activity at the end of the school year.  

Monday, Sept. 17: Today we will finger paint on mirrors.  It is fun to watch the children watch themselves as they smear paint all over their reflection.  We will use the subsequent hand prints for a page in their scrapbook.  We'll read a story about a yellow dot and a blue dot and their crazy adventures.  After that we will try to recreate their adventures on heat plates.  Hmmmmm....interesting.  

Wednesday, Sept. 19: 3s~Today we will paint with balloons.  Fun!  We will read a story about an adventurous set of colored dots, we'll measure our height and weigh our mass, and we will finger paint our reflections in mirrors.  We will use a lot of today's projects for our scrapbooks.  4s~Today we might play in the dramatic playroom (DP).  We'll read a story about a color-mixing dance and we will do some painting with scarves and rubber bands.  Have you ever painted over your head?  We'll try it today.  Good day for play clothes...

Friday, Sept 21: 3s~We'll paint under the table today.  I'll try to remember to tell the children, "Don't try this at home".  We will finger paint on windows and paint on a regular, old easel.  We'll see what different color combinations do when they are mixed.  4s~Today will be an outdoor Art Extravaganza!  We will start school as normal and then we will go outside and play and try all different forms of art with all sorts of media.  This should be tons of fun.  Hope, think good thoughts, pray, rub your lucky rabbit's foot, whatever you need to do to ensure the weather HOLDS! 

Monday, Sept. 24: We will be switching gears this week.  We'll move away from colors and start exploring sunflowers.  I'll tell the children a story about a magic seed and a young boy.  We will start looking at sunflowers and make a picture of a sunflower.  We will work together to make a huge sunflower for our bulletin board.

Wednesday, Sept. 26: 3s~I will tell the story of Grandpa's Magic Seed and we will paint small paper plates to represent the middle of a sunflower.  We will explore sunflowers with our hands and tools.  We'll make sunflower pictures with dot markers and tissue paper, and we will play in the dramatic play room (DP).  4s~We will continue to work on our cooperative sunflower and we will paint petals on our sunflower picture.  Today is the Safety Fair from 11:45-1:15.  Come check it out!

Friday, Sept. 28: 3s~Today we will finger paint and continue to explore sunflowers.  We will hear the magic seed story again and I will encourage the children to tell it on their own.  4s~Today we will all contribute to a "ladder story" about a sunflower seed.  We will finger paint on windows and glue stems on our sunflower pictures.  Wow!  This will conclude our first month of school.  We're going to have such fun and make good friends.  

Thank you for being willing to help out in the classroom.  If I don't see you this month, I will look forward to working with you in the near future.  Have fun and remember to savor every moment with your little ones.  I know it is cliche, but it REALLY does go fast.  :)

See you soon,

Anne.