Jack Frost is in the air and winter weather has swept in. Sometimes when it is really cold out I wish it would just snow. Lots and lots of snow. Who wouldn't? Welcome back to school. Welcome to 2013! We will start to see some amazing changes and magical things happen in the classroom. The children have grown and developed so much and we will see new behavior as we start the year. They will be solidifying their peer relationships and use the tools they have been hearing about all year. It is a delightful time to be a teacher. And a parent helper. And a friend.
The following is a schedule of events for the month. Please remember that I use this plan as my skeleton, so to speak, and that occasionally I will tweak things in accordance to what the children need. (I have mentioned this in the past but it sometimes bears repeating. I can be fairly loosey-goosey.) Thanks for all that you do for me and the children. I am so appreciative of all of you.
(***Remember that the auction donations deadline is January 25. If you are having trouble with getting donations, or dropping off donations, selling raffle tickets, or anything to do with your auction requirements PLEASE ask us for help. We are here to help you. Mali Geister, our fabulous auction guru is fantastic at coming up with ideas, suggestions, tips, and hints. Please DO NOT hesitate to ask for help because it is easily accessible.)
Here goes...
Monday, Jan. 7: Welcome back. This week we will be studying snow and snowflakes. We will paint a wooden snowflake today and sing a song with it next time. We will make a snowman out of wood pieces and get a chance to do some paint mixing. We will make snow at meeting time. It's like magic!
Wednesday, Jan. 9: 3s~Welcome back. Today we will be talking about snow and snowflakes. We will paint a wooden snowflake and do some paint mixing. We'll read a story about a bear that hibernates and we will paint a tree to go along with the story. We'll learn a chant about snowmen and make snow at meeting! 4s~Today we will paint paper plate snowflakes and paint the snowmen/women that we started on Monday. If you have small scraps of fabric or small hat like pieces of material or anything at home that might be especially good for a miniature snowman/woman please send it with your child for Friday. We will read a story about what one might need to make a snowman/woman so the children will have their creative juices flowing. Capitalize on it! :)
Friday, Jan. 11: 3s~We will read the story The Mitten retold by Jan Brett. The children will add animals to the tree they painted on Wednesday and they will paint paper plate snowflakes. We'll learn a new song about a snowflake falling from the sky. 4s~We will decorate our snow people today. If you have supplies for them, please send them with your child today. We'll estimate how tall we are in snowflakes and then measure ourselves in snowflakes to see how close we were in our estimation. Should be drifts of fun.
Monday, Jan. 14: Today we will start our body project. Each child will be traced and we will talk about our bodies inside and out. We will also be talking about ice and its qualities. We will be able to play with ice and do some experiments with it.
Wednesday, Jan. 16: 3s~We will read the story The Hat also retold by Jan Brett. We will cut out a hat and paint it. We will make frost at meeting and play with ice and ice sculptures. 4s~We will trace more bodies today and start drawing what is inside of us. We'll paint a picture of the inside of us as well.
Friday, Jan. 18: 3s~We will continue to play with ice. Today we will introduce salt and color for the ice and we'll make snowflakes fall in the art center. Wow. We will decorate our hat from Wednesday. 4s~We'll continue to draw the inside of us. We'll introduce color to our ice sculptures and we'll be able to paint a picture of a body. We'll make snowflakes fall in the art center!
Monday, Jan. 21: NO SCHOOL TODAY. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY. ENJOY!!
Wednesday, Jan. 23: 3s~Today we will cut out bodies and draw what we look like on the inside. We'll make faux x-rays that look a lot like the real thing. 4s~We will start the process of decorating the children's traced bodies with their own ideas of what they would like to look like on the outside. This is hands-down one of my most favorite times of the school year. The children all have an idea that is unique to them and it is a treasured moment. After all the bodies are decorated they are hung on the ceiling for them to look at and enjoy for the rest of the school year. We will start the process of making our own version of the book, Mary Wears A Red Dress. We'll read the story and let the children decide what they would like to wear in the book.
Friday, Jan. 25: 3s~The children will decorate their bodies with bandages today. They love this because it gives them the opportunity to use as many bandaids as they want and I love it because it strengthens their fine motor skills. Win, win. Also, we'll play with a life-size puzzle of a skeleton. 4s~More decorating. My goal is to "clothe" 4 children each day until finished. We'll also cut out a body and put "owies" on it with bandages.
Monday, Jan. 28: Today we will continue to decorate bodies, we'll finish our book, and we'll tell a ladder story about a snow storm. We will have open school today and the children can wander to and fro.
Wednesday, Jan. 30: 3s~This is Bare Feet Day! Send your child with slippers or slipper socks, or just let them run around in their bare tootsies. I'll ask the children if they think they can paint and/or draw with their feet and then we'll try to draw with our feet and we'll put blindfolds on them and let them paint with their feet. It should be an icky, gooey, fun mess! 4s~see 3s description. Bare Feet Day!
Friday, Feb. 1: 3s~Pajama Day!! Send your child to school in pajamas. If you are the parent helper come in pajamas. I will come to school in pajamas. This is such a comfortable day. ;) The children can bring ONE stuffed animal or special lovey with them if they would like. Don't forget shoes for outside time. We will try blindfold finger painting and making pajama people. For snack we will have popcorn that we make together. We will have open school today for the first time. The children will have the opportunity to play in every room in the school during free choice time. It will be a fun experiment. 4s~Pajama Day!! Send your child to school in their PJs. Come to school in yours. If they desire your child can bring ONE stuffed animal with them. We will have open school, we will be making pajama people, and finger painting with blindfolds on. We will have a popcorn snack that we will watch pop before our very eyes. Don't forget to send shoes that your child can wear outside if the weather is such that we can go out.
Thanks again for all of your support. Remember to ask for help if you need it.
For my 4s class: the children have really been wanting to share things and lots of them have been bringing things in to class to share. I have been managing this, but have occasionally disappointed a child because we didn't have enough sharing time. It has started to be fairly time consuming. I don't want to put an end to this fun and important social piece of their school day, but I am currently working out a sharing box system similar to the Special Person of the Day. For now, please do not let your child bring things from home to share with the class. I hope to have the system for sharing in place by the second week of January. I will have a Sharing Box that I will send home with a child on Monday and they can bring something back with them on Wednesday (as long as it fits in the box). This way the child will get as much time as they need, I will budget the time accordingly, and no one will feel left out. Whew!
I hope you all had a safe, exciting, and fulfilling holiday season. Here's to a great new year!
With lots of hope and love,
~Anne.
