I hope your holidays were calm, relaxed, safe, and happy. We have enjoyed the time off in our house-I hope you have as well. Now it is time to get back to the normal routine. Routines are calming to children and let them know what to expect next. Routines are a good thing.
This month we will learn about snow and ice, and explore our bodies and how they work. The dramatic play room is a hospital and surgery is performed daily. The 4s class will learn all about our bodies and how to take care of them as well as what is inside of them. We will talk about our similarities and differences. The 3s class will talk about how our body looks on the inside and the outside. We'll finish the month with a Pajama Party to celebrate our amazing bodies.
The following is a structural base of what we'll be doing for the month. With the body project the timing is loosely based as we don't know when we will finish with each step. It will be lots of fun and the body pictures that result from all our hard work are fun and fabulous.
Monday, Jan. 6-Welcome back! We'll read a story called Snow by Uri Shulevitz. We'll make snow, cut snowflakes and make a snow storm picture.
Wednesday, Jan. 8-3s~Welcome back! We will make snow, start a snowman picture and make snowflakes fall to make a snow storm picture. 4s~We will will talk about what are the colors that make winter, cut out circles for a snowman, and use shaving cream with colors. We'll make snowflakes fall in the art center.
Friday, Jan. 10-3s~We'll decorate snowmen with buttons and hats, make melty pictures, and make a winter color collage. 4s~We'll decorate the snowmen we started on Monday and make melty pictures.
Monday, Jan. 13-We will start our body unit today. The children will start tracing bodies and they'll make x-rays.
Wednesday, Jan 15-3s~We will read the story The Mitten by Jan Brett. The children will try to identify what happens in the beginning, middle and end of the story. We will lace up a mitten of our own and trace their hands to make a paper chain. 4s~We will continue tracing bodies and start drawing what is inside of us. We'll paint a picture of the inside of us and the outside of us.
Friday, Jan. 17-3s~The children will work on scrapbooks today as well as paint inside a box. We will put together a story board for the story The Mitten. 4s~Scrapbooks will be our main project today. We will continue to trace and draw the inside of us. The children will finish the painting of the inside/outside of their bodies.
Monday, Jan. 20-NO SCHOOL TODAY. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY
Wednesday, Jan. 22-3s~We will read the book The Hat by Jan Brett. We will cut out a hat shape and paint a picture of our face. 4s~We will start putting clothing on bodies today! There will be plenty of time to let the child choose what they would like to have on the outside of their body. You might start talking to your child about what they like to wear and what kind of prints/materials are their favorite. Do they like long pants, or short ones? Do they like long-sleeves or short? Do they like boots or rollerskates? What is it that we all wear to show our independence and personality? This is a fun project.
Friday, Jan. 24-3s~We will read the story Caps For Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina. We will act out the story and put the hat and face pictures (from Wednesday) together. 4s~We will continue to put clothing on bodies and play in the dramatic play room. We will make i.d. badges for the hospital.
Monday, Jan. 27-If we aren't finished with bodies we will finish up putting clothing on bodies. The children will cut out a small body and draw their insides.
Wednesday, Jan 29-3s~It's BAREFEET DAY! The children will leave their shoes in a basket today and can be barefoot or wear slippers. Please send shoes for outside. We will paint with our feet and cut out a circle to make a small body. We will talk about what is inside of us and outside of us. 4s~BAREFEET DAY! The children can wear slippers or be barefoot today. We will read the book Mary Wore Her Red Dress by Merle Peeke. The children should wear their favorite clothing today as we will make a book of what they would like to wear. A picture will be taken of them for the book. They'll add hair and eyes to the bodies they started on Monday.
Friday, Jan 31-3s~It's Pajama Party time!! Wear your pajamas to school today. (Children can leave their shoes at the door, but please send shoes for outside play.) The children can bring one stuffed animal of their choice and/or a blanket if they would like. The children will paint with their eyes blindfolded and play with shaving cream. They will add bandages to the bodies they started on Wednesday. 4s~Pajama Party Day!! The children can wear pajamas to school today, but be sure to send shoes with your child for outside. They can bring one stuffed animal and/or a blanket with them. We will paint while being blindfolded and place bandages on the small bodies we've been working on. The children will put together the book about what they are wearing.
Please remember to send your children with appropriate clothing for the weather as we will continue to try to be outside as much as possible. The auction meeting is January 15 at 6:30 p.m. If you missed the last meeting this one is mandatory subject to fine if not attended. If you made the last meeting this one is set up as an open house style to answer questions and help with appropriation of gifts/donations. Also, the auction donations are due on January 17. Heather Zagyva and Mali Geister will have a table set up in the art center to help with pick up if you need it. All gift cards and certificates need to go into the locked auction box in the art center near the parent cubbies. Continue to check your parent cubby daily for important information. Also please check the bag under your child's coat hook in the hallway for communication from me and art work for your child.
Here's to a successful new year! Thanks for all your help. See you in the classroom. ~Anne.
Important dates to remember:
1/6~School starts
1/15~Auction Meeting
1/17~Auction donation deadline
1/20~No school for Martin Luther King Jr. day
1/29~Barefeet day (barefeet or slippers-please send shoes for outside)
1/31~Pajama Party (wear your favorite PJs to school and bring ONE favorite stuffed animal and/or blanket)
