March 8th - March 12th, 2010

PRESCHOOL PEEK OF THE WEEK FOR MARCH 8-12, 2010
 
 
The preschoolers thought this past week's theme was wonderful.  They enjoyed many stories written by Dr. Seuss, there favorite was probably Green Eggs and Ham.  I read it to the class prior to our Green Eggs and Ham party in hopes that the students would be more apt to try them.  We talked about how Sam, I am would have never known he liked the green eggs and ham, had he not tried them.  Then, most of the students braved it out and tried them-and they loved them.  That Mrs. Carolyn and quite the chef.  The students also did a great job making a pattern when coloring their cat in the hat hats.  The cutting of the hats went wonderfully, too.  For a science and math project, the students made oobleck to coordinate with the Bartholemew and the oobleck by Dr. Seuss.  They mixed, measured and described how the oobleck felt as they felt it.
 
The letter of the week went "egg-cellent."  For the letter e the students colored pictures of eggs and elephants.  They had a chance to match egg shaped letters.  The upper case letters were written on laminated pictures of hard-boiled eggs, while the lower case letters were written on laminated pictures of cracked eggs.  They role played with emotion eggs, where they got to act out how the egg felt, whether it was silly, sad, angry, sleepy and happy.  They enjoyed this activity immensely.  During our outdoor play the students flew around the playground pretending to be eagles.  They also decorated the letter e with ripped up pieces of egg cartons.
 
This coming week's theme will be colors.  The students will be making rainbows for the upcoming holiday.  We will be mixing and making jello to create a different color.  The letter of the week will be R for rainbow.
 
 Thank you,
Miss Robin

March 1st - March 5th, 2010

PRESCHOOL PEEK FOR MARCH 1-5, 2010
 
This past week the student were all smiles while we learned about Dental Health.  We talked about the importance of brushing our teeth at morning and at night.  The students knew not to eat sweets too often because they aren't good for our teeth.  We also named some great food choices to help our teeth stay strong, like; milk, carrots, and apples.
 
The students really enjoyed making their own toothpaste.  The peppermint extract and food coloring was a big hit because they liked the smell of it and they thought it was neat that the paste turned blue with just a drop of food coloring.  Miss Debbie loved the smell and suggested that everyone use peppermint extract to scent their houses.  Not a bad idea, and much less expensive than those Yankee Candles :)
 
The letter of the week went quite well, too.  The students painted with q-tips, and watercolored pictures of queens and quails.  We also touched upon the worth of a quarter when we sang about it from the letter of the week basket.
 
Senorita Meghan taught us a new word in Spanish to coordinate with our theme this week.  The students learned dientes means teeth.  She taught us the song "Brush Your Teeth."  It's amazing what these students learn so quickly through songs.  I must admit they are quite catchy and I find myself singing them even when I am not at work.
 
Miss AnnMarie got us geared up for the month of March by teaching us the Irish jig.  The students looked adorable watching their little legs move so quickly.
 
We will be paying tribute to Dr. Seuss this week in honor of his birthday.  Please encourage your child to try our special snack of green eggs and ham that we will be sharing on Tuesday.  Thank you once again for bringing in supplies so we can continually have special events for your children.  The letter of the week will be E for eggs.
 
Thank you,
Miss Robin

February 22nd - February 26th, 2010

PRESCHOOL PEEK OF THE WEEK FOR FEBRUARY 22-26, 2010
 
Love filled the air this past week as we talked about how nice it is to have people in our lives who love and care for us, and that we can love, too.  They made adorable heart people for the bulletin board.  We made valentine cards out of our hands to make a heart. The students thought it was so cool that they could make a valentine with just their hands.  They also found it exciting to cut on a folded line and when they opened up the paper they discovered that they made a heart.  The students are all doing a great job cutting on lines now.  The valentine parties went wonderfully.  Thank you for being so well prepared with the supplies so we could switch the Thursday party to Tuesday.  You just never know what to expect with New England weather.
 
We also enjoyed a visit with Miss Pauline from the Greenville Public Library who shared some special Valentine stories.
 
Miss Debbie also taught  several signs for Valentine's Day in sign language.  Ask your child what they remember, there was quite a bit.  We learned how to sign I love you, I love mom, I love dad, and Happy Valentine's Day.  They are doing terrific!
 
We enjoyed our special guest from Mrs. Cheng, too.  She incorporated another holiday for our theme this week.  The students learned that The Chinese New Year has an animal that differs every year.  This year was the Year of the Tiger.  They also learned that in China for the new year children receive red envelopes with presents in them.
 
***Please remember we are closed on Monday, February 15-19 for February Vacation.  The school will be open on Monday, February 22.  Enjoy the time with your family. ***
 
When we return from vacation on February 22 our theme will be Dental Health.  We will be painting with toothbrushes, making our own toothpaste, and conducting a Science experiment on the effects soda can have on our teeth.  I will also talk about what foods are good for our teeth, and how important it is to take care of them.  The letter of the week will be Q, but I am not quite sure why, I just chose it:)
 
Enjoy your vacation and see you on the 22nd.
 
Thank you,
Miss Robin

February 8th - February 12th, 2010

PRESCHOOL PEEK OF THE WEEK FOR FEBRUARY 8-12, 2010
 
The preschoolers did a fantastic job branching out and playing with different friends this week.  My favorite part of the week was to see them make a friendship necklace for someone else.  They put so much care and effort into the project, and then handed it to his, or her friend with such pride and smiles!  I explained how nice it is to make something for another person and give the other student happiness.  This also gave the students a chance to learn a bit about his, or her friend.  They had to ask what the student's favorite color was and be sure to put that color bead in the necklace.  Everyone also enjoyed the pancake party Mrs. Carolyn's class had for the school on our official 100th day of school on Wednesday.  In order to include our other students, my class made a Friendship Fruit Salad.  They loved that, too.  They especially love adding what they brought to help make the fruit salad.  It's so wonderful to see the simple joy they get by contributing to something. Thank you again for helping out with the festivities.
 
The letter of the week was great-G for groundhog and good friends.  On Groundhogs Day we made a puppet where they could pop out from a styrofoam cup.  We were a bit disappointed to learn that there would be six more weeks of Winter.  We also made giraffe colorings, decorated the letter G with gold glitter and played some games, like Simon says and Red Light, Green Light.
 
This week's theme will be Valentine's Day.  I will continue to talk about how to show kindness to others and how nice it is to have people in our lives to love, and who love us, as well.  The letter of the week will be V.  We will also be having two Valentine's Day parties on Thursday, February 11 and Friday, February 12.  Thank you once again for helping with the supplies for the parties.
 
The color of the month is RED.  Please send your child to school wearing red any day this month.  It would be ideal if you could have your child wear red on Friday, February 12.  Mrs. Cheng, Dawen's mom, is coming in on that day to teach us about The Chinese New Year.  The color of this holiday is red.
 
Thank you,
Miss Robin

February 1st - February 5th, 2010

PRESCHOOL PEEK OF THE WEEK FOR FEBRUARY 1-5, 2010
 
Panda bears, polar bears, koalas, brown bears, and black bears-oh my!  There were bears everywhere this week.  I mainly focused on the black bear and the brown bear since those are the ones that hibernate.  I did review why polar bears do not hibernate and touched upon the topic that koalas and pandas don't either.  I explained what it means to hibernate and talked about why some bears do it, while others do not.  I also discussed other animals that hibernate such as; the turtle, the snake and the frog.
 
We enjoyed a special snack on both Wednesday and Thursday.  The preschoolers made apple teddies.  They loved spreading soy butter on the apple and then decorating it with teddy grahams.  It looked adorable and tasted delicious!
 
The letter of the week was "D".  We enjoyed dance with Miss Nicole.  We dug in the dirt both inside and outside.  We watercolored dolls and dinosaurs.  The preschoolers also loved playing with the dolls and dollhouses at the table in the schoolhouse.  We also had dinosaur play at the table where the students got to bump one of the dinosaurs into another one of his, or her own dinosaurs.  We talked about how dinosaurs really did that when they fought, but we could not do that with a friend.  I touched on the topic of carnivores, herbivores and omnivores.  Then I explained that the carnivores usually had the sharpest teeth because they needed them to eat the meat, whereas the herbivores didn't really have sharp teeth at all.  The older preschoolers worked on a ditto to write the letter D, in both upper and lower case.  The younger students filled in a D template with bingo dabbers.
 
This coming week's theme will be a prelude to the Valentine's Day theme.  The theme will focus on being kind and how to be a good friend.  Our class will be making a friendship fruit salad, friendship bracelets and we will do some partner "reading."  I hope to encourage the students to play with a friend that he, or she does not normally play with.  The letter of the week will be G.
 
Have a great weekend.
 
Thank you,
Miss Robin

January 25th - January 29th, 2010

PRESCHOOL PEEK OF THE WEEK FOR JANUARY 25-29,2010
 
The preschoolers thought the theme was kool-okay, don't worry I know how to spell cool, but the letter of the week was K.  They really did enjoy learning about penguins this week, though.  They did a fantastic job of cutting and gluing together their own penguins.  They look awesome!  Please take a minute to check out their work on the bulletin board in the schoolhouse.  Thank you!  I love how they created his, or her own penguin to look so differently.  I guess all my talking about how it's great to be different applied to even the penguins. 
 
We had a great time measuring how tall each student is compared to a  penguin.  Miss Jen, Remy's mom, painted a wonderful painting of a penguin, which enabled us to see how big a penguin is next to ourselves.  The students measured the penguin painting in blocks, then Miss Paula had them lay next to the painting and measured the students' height in blocks.  They were quite excited to see they were taller, or almost as tall as the penguin painting. 
 
We also enjoyed having waddle races in the penguin area.  The students put a pretend snowball between their knees and waddled from one end of the room to another, it was quite the sight!  After our waddle racing, I told the students that the father penguin actually keeps the egg on his feet for about a month until the baby penguin hatches, while the mother penguin goes to look for food during that time.  I then had them try to put their "snowball" on his, or her feet for a minute.  We talked about how long the minute felt to keep a snowball still and not move.  Then we tried to imagine how it would feel to keep still for a month.  I am not even sure if I could keep it on me for a minute.  Good job to those father penguins, that seems like hard work.
 
The letter of the week was kind of a challenge for me.  We hopped in the park area like kangaroos.  I did take a minute to talk about what a baby kangaroo was, an added bonus, though not the letter of the week.  We also made kites.  They were once again creative, and made any shape that they wanted.  We worked on writing the letter K on both a worksheet and shaving cream.
 
Miss Meghan is doing a fantastic job integrating Spanish with the theme.  Our main focus this week were the words nieve and blanca, white and snow.  She is also reviewing the numbers in Spanish.  I started a number of the week to help with number recognition.  There is nothing you need to do for the number of the week, I will just simply be having the students practice writing the number and recognizing it.  This week's number was one.  Miss Meghan has  taught the students some new songs in Spanish.  They are doing a fantastic job learning the words and they have already become fond of Miss Meghan.
 
Miss Ann-Marie never lets us down either.  She sang songs about snow and had us draw to music like we were snowflakes in a snow storm.  The students listened to the music and drew quickly if the music was playing so, and drew gently and slowly, if that's how the music was being played.  Then we finished off having a pretend ice skating time around the school.
 
This week's theme will be Bears.  I will talk about hibernation and the different types of bears.  I hope to start up another book bag, too.  Please be on the lookout for Polar Bear, Polar Bear What Do You Hear? and the polar bear stuffed animal.  The students love this book.  In fact, I sit and watch some of the students "read" the book while I wait for the other students to finish up their snacks.  When your child has the opportunity to take the book bag home, please give them the chance to "read" the book to you, too.  It is adorable and amazing!  The letter of the week will be D, due to the fact that I will talk about how some bears live in dens.
 
Thank you,
Miss Robin

January 19th - January 22nd, 2010

PRESCHOOL PEEK OF THE WEEK FOR JANUARY 19-22, 2010
 
This week was incredible!  The preschoolers really got into the arctic animal theme.  We talked about how the center of the Arctic region is the North Pole and the different animals one may see there.  The class favorite had to be the walrus.  They made an adorable paper plate walrus project, which is hanging in the foyer.  I also told them that the animals typically have fur, or blubber to help keep them warm.  To help illustrate the fact we did a science experiment.  The students placed one hand in cold water, and the other one had a dishwashing glove on it, which also got dipped into the cold water.  We discussed which one felt colder and why. 
 
The letter of the week was full of ideas, too.  The students painted pictures of igloos with colored ice.  They made igloos out of sugar cubes, which I conveniently called igloo cubes to assure that nobody would eat them-to my amazement not one child tried!  What good listeners.  They played with Ivory snow in our sensory bucket.  We had a table set up with arctic animals that they played with on ice.  When the students began to notice what the ice was doing, I discussed what would happen to the water if I were to put it back into the freezer.  To which all the students replied, "it would turn back to ice."  Such smart students!
 
This week the students were introduced to our new Spanish teacher.  Miss Meghan displays great enthusiasm with the children.  In fact, she was quick to try to learn all the students names and talk with them after Spanish was over.  She has terrific plans to integrate Spanish outside of the "classroom".  Be sure to be on the lookout for some words posted on the items the students see everyday.  I have also communicated with Meghan on what my themes are and she is planning on activities, and/or new Spanish words to correlate with my theme.  Could you please send in one paper towel roll for Meghan to do a project with the students.  Thank you!
 
The upcoming week's theme is Penguins.  I will be talking about how penguins are one of the few birds that do not fly, but how they are fantastic swimmers.  We will be measuring ourselves compared to a drawing of a baby penguin.  We will also have waddle races where they will have a pretend egg between their knees to appreciate the full effect of how penguins move from place to place.  The letter of the week will be K in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr
 
We will be closed on Monday, January 18 in recognition of Martin Luther King, Jr's birthday.  Enjoy your long weekend!
 
Thank you,
Miss Robin
 
Most of the progress reports have been sent home.  Please look them over, and return them to me with a parent's signature. Feel free to set up a parent-teacher conference with me, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns.  Thank you.

January 11th - January 15th, 2010

PRESCHOOL PEEK OF THE WEEK FOR JANUARY 11-15
 
The preschoolers went wild for our Winter Wonderland theme this week.  We managed to go outside and enjoy the snow, where the students loved to make snow angels.  Since the snow wasn't terrific for snowmen making, we devoted project time to painting our own snow people.  The students also loved creating their own snow people out of craft foam.  During this project we worked on scissor skills, and talked about the different size circles needed while making their craft.  Most of the students understood the sequencing of the small circle at the top, then the middle and, lastly, the largest circle at the bottom.
 
The letter of the week went wonderfully, too.  The students enjoyed playing with water in our new sensory bucket.  They loved the idea of playing with water during the Winter time.  We also talked about Winter and what happens during this season.  We sang a song about the color white.  We made vanilla pudding.  They loved measuring and mixing during that time. We wrote the letter W both in shaving cream and on a worksheet.  They also loved using watercolors to paint a whale.  What a week!
 
This week I will be devoting the theme to Arctic Animals.  They will be discussing how the arctic animals have blubber to keep them warm in the cold weather and learn about what type of animals live in the Arctic.  The letter of the week will be I due to the fact that there is a great deal of ice in the Arctic, and we will be building igloos in the block area.
 
***Please continue to send in snow items, including snow pants, boots, hats and mittens.  You may also want to send an extra pair of socks, too. ***
 
 Thank you!
Miss Robin

January 4th - January 8th, 2010

PRESCHOOL PEEK OF THE WEEK FOR JANUARY 4-8, 2010
 
I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas and managed to sneak in some time to relax and enjoy the extra family time.  Happy New Year to all!  It's going to be another super year at The Little Village Schoolhouse. 
 
This week we'll be transforming the schoolhouse into a Winter Wonderland.  We'll be talking about snow, looking for animal tracks in the snow, playing an ice fishing game, and make some vanilla pudding.   The letter of the week will be W.  I am also starting a color of the month, which will be white.  The color of the week can be worn any day that your child attends.
 
Thank you,
Miss Robin

Holiday Break 2009

PRESCHOOL RECAP OF DECEMBER 21-23
 
The three days of school were filled with much excitement.  The children all looked adorable in their pajamas.  They listened so attentively to The Polar Express book and they did a fantastic job frosting and decorating the cookies.  Thanks again for contributing the celebration.  We really couldn't have all these fantastic parties without your help!
 
We took turns pretending to be Santa and Mrs. Claus while the other students pretended to sleep.  Santa and Mrs. Claus then left presents for the sleeping children who were awoken by a rooster.  So don't be surprised if your child comes into your bedroom crowing on Christmas morning.  We also used snowmen, Santa, Mrs. Claus, a gingerbread  boy, a girl and a reindeer, (okay, it was really a horse, but I work with what I have), to put on a Christmas puppet show.
 
Just a reminder, we are closed next week and school will resume on MONDAY, JANUARY 4TH, 2010!
 
 
MERRY CHRISTMAS, AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!  Looking forward to a great 2010.
 
Thank you,
Miss Robin

December 21st - December 23rd, 2009

PRESCHOOL PEEK OF THE WEEK DECEMBER 21-23
 
Merriment filled the air this week.  The preschoolers worked very hard making the school look festive.  The Christmas Surprises also came out beautifully, I hope that everyone enjoys them.  We have been singing our hearts out, too.  They are doing such a great job that I think Santa can hear them.
 
Speaking of Santa, the Christmas party was a huge success!  All of the children seemed to really love seeing Santa and singing the Christmas songs.  There was plenty of food and fun to be had, as well.
 
For the letter of the week we talked about different animals that start with the letter M, like monkeys, moose and mice.  On the topic of mice, there is a book bag going from house to house, If You Take A Mouse To The Movies.  When your child takes home the book bag please read the story to him, or her and have your child draw his, or her favorite part of the story.   Please do your best to return the book bag materials the next day your child attends school as I have 27 students and I know they are all anxiously awaiting their turn to take it home-Thank you!
 
I will be continuing this week with the Christmas theme.  I will not have a letter of the week due to the fact there are only three days of school. 
 
*** Keep in mind, both Monday and Wednesday are our pajama days.  Please send your child to school wearing his, or her pajamas. We will still be going outside, weather permitting, so please continue to send in snow pants, boots, hats, and mittens.***  Thank you.
 
I hope that everyone enjoys the holiday season, whatever holiday you may celebrate.  Also, enjoy the vacation week with your child(ren), I cannot wait to be home with my own!  We will resume school on Monday, January 4, 2010!
 
Thank You,
Miss Robin

December 14th - December 18th, 2009

PRESCHOOL PEEK OF THE WEEK DECEMBER 14-18
 
Hanukkah was a happy time for everyone, whether they celebrate it or not.  The students loved playing in the Hanukkah center in our park area. They were able to enjoy the driedel game, pretended to make latkes, and counted the gelt.  In the school, the students painted menorahs and a picture of the Star of David.  They learned the Driedel song, counted the candles on the menorah, including the shamash-which they also may call, the helper candle.  They did a wonderful job learning lots of new words to their ever growing vocabulary this week.  To help reinforce the new words we played Menorah, Menorah, Shamash in place of Duck, Duck, Goose.  Games really are a great way of having the students retain new information!
 
Thank you to everyone who once again helped out with the Hanukkah parties on Thursday and Friday.  The latkes and applesauce was a hit.  The students loved dipping the potato pancakes in the applesauce-YUM!  The students really enjoyed receiving their own dreidel and gelt, too.  Thanks to all of your efforts gathering the items, I know some of you encountered trouble finding Hanukkah items.
 
The letter of the week was outstanding!  We decorated ornaments, colored owls and the letter O, worked with red and yellow to make the color orange, and talked about the oval shape.
 
The awaited holiday for many of our students is now upon us.  I will be devoting the next two weeks to Christmas.  We will be doing several activities, which will include, but sure will not be limited to; making Christmas surprises, decorating the school to look more festive, and discussing traditions we have at home during the holiday season.  Please feel free to encourage, or remind the students of something you typically do every year, or maybe you are starting to do as a tradition.  The letter of the week will be M for Merry.
 
Please, bring in a photo of your child by Tuesday, December 15.  Be sure to bring in a picture that you don't mind your child cutting, or gluing.  Thank you.
 
***Important Date Reminder***
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18TH-CHRISTMAS PARTY
If your child doesn't attend school that day, and you would like to come, please plan on staying with your child for the duration of the party-the party starts promptly at 10 and will finish around 12:30.
 
MONDAY, DECEMBER 21ST AND WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23RD are our pajama days.  Please send your child to school in his/her pajamas.
 
Thank you and Happy Shopping-I am not even close to being done,
Miss Robin

December 7th - December 11th, 2009

PRESCHOOL PEEK OF THE WEEK FOR DECEMBER 7-11
 
The preschoolers were very excited about having animals as the theme for this past week.  They loved pretending to be pet detectives while trying to match up what animals ate which food.  We talked about the size of the animal matches the size of the food it eats.  For example, I pointed out how fish food is smaller than dog food because fish are smaller pets than dogs.  They also enjoyed role playing in the veterinarian center.  We discussed how the vet is someone who we can take our animals to when they are sick, or just for a check-up, like when we go to the doctor.
 
The letter of the week was a bit of a challenge.  We decorated the letter v with vegetable seeds.  We pretended to vacuum in store, and we played with vehicles in the park area.
 
Before I start into the Christmas festivities, I will devote one week to Hannukah.  It will be nice for the preschoolers to learn about a different holiday they may, or may not be familiar with.  I will be talking about how the holiday lasts eight days rather than our one day of Christmas celebrations.  They will also learn about items used during the time of Hannukah; such as, the menorah and the dreidel.
 
***If you celebrate Hannukah, please send your child in with any items you may have at home to add to our learning.  We will be finishing off the week on both Thursday, and Friday where we will be enjoying latkes and applesauce.***
 
The letter of the week will be O-for Festival Of Lights, another name for Hannukah.
 
IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES:
 
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18TH IS OUR ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PARTY-IF YOUR CHILD DOES NOT ATTEND ON THAT DAY, YOU MAY STAY WITH YOUR CHILD FOR THE DURATION OF THE PARTY
 
MONDAY, DECEMBER 21ST AND WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 23RD WILL BE OUR PAJAMA DAY-STUDENTS ARE INVITED TO COME TO SCHOOL DRESSED IN PAJAMAS AND WE WILL BE ENJOYING THE STORY OF THE POLAR EXPRESS.  WE WILL ALSO DECORATE COOKIES AND ENJOY SOME DELICIOUS HOT CHOCOLATE.
 
This is going to be a busy month, your child(ren) should have lots to tell you about when you discuss school at home.
 
Thank you and Happy Shopping,
Miss Robin

November 30th - December 4th, 2009

PRESCHOOL PEEK OF THE WEEK FOR NOV. 30-DEC.4
 
 
It was a short week, but it was packed with loads of fun and lots of learning.  The students learned about the ship the pilgrims came over on where the met the Native Americans, many of the students will call it the flower ship, but some did recall the Mayflower.  They also learned that the first Thanksgiving lasted three whole days rather than our one. 
 
The students looked terrific in their Thanksgiving attire during our thankful snacks.  The students were able to choose whether they wanted to dress up as a Pilgrim and wear a bonnet-for the girls, or a hat-for the boys.  Some chose to wear a Headdress to represent the Native Americans.  The two snacks on Tuesday and Wednesday was the perfect ending to the theme because it allowed the children to simulate how they thought the first Thanksgiving would have been with both the Native Americans and the Pilgrims in attendance.
 
The reviewing of our three letters kept us busy, as well.  The students practiced writing the letters in shaving cream.  We played house in the store area and galloped outside like horses for the letter H.  On Tuesday, students decorated plates to look like a lion for the letter l.  We also enjoyed a teddy bear parade that day for the letter T.  On Wednesday, we transformed our hands into turkeys to create a Thanksgiving poem.  While I painted the students hand, I talked about what letters hand and turkey started with to incorporate the letters h and t.
 
Since most of the students were thankful for their pets, I decided to devote this week's theme to animals.  We will primarily focus on the common house pets; cats, dogs and fish.  I will have the students graph his, or her favorite pet.
 
***Also, if you have any type of pet food, could you please send it to school in a sealed baggie.  There is no need to label the baggies because I will be having the students try to guess what animal eats the food.  Thank You!***
 
The letter of the week will be V for Veterinarian. 
 
I hope that you all enjoy your long weekend with your family.  The holiday season is officially among us!
 
Thank you,
Miss Robin

November 23rd - November 25th, 2009

PRESCHOOL PEEK OF THE WEEK FOR NOVEMBER 23-25
 
The preschoolers did a fantastic job sharing what they are thankful for.  The top choice was their pets.  They loved turning their handprints into turkeys for the bulletin board.  They really enjoyed pretending to be Native Americans.  They got to cook, fish and swim in the park area.  We also role played 5 Little Turkeys in place of 5 Little Pumpkins from Halloween time, they got a kick out of the change.
 
My reviewing of the letters went well, too.  We worked on writing all three letters in shaving cream, caught up on journals for those that were sick, used toyairplanes for the letter a, beaded bracelets for b, and talked about the feathers they cut for their headdresses for the letter f.
 
I will be continuing with the Thanksgiving theme this week.  We'll focus on how the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock and how they learned things from the Native Americans.  We will discuss how the first Thanksgiving came about and then we will culminate the lesson by sharing a Thankful Snack on both Tues, and Wed.  Thank you to everyone who once again generously helped contribute to the snacks.
 
The three letters I will be reviewing are H, L, and T.  I will attempt to have a teddy bear parade on Tuesday.  I tried to for the Tuesday and Wednesday classes the last time I worked on the letter T, but only the Wednesday class brought in enough teddies for the parade.  If your child attends on Tuesday, please send him, or her in with a teddy.   Thank you!
 
We also started learning new Christmas songs in both Spanish and Sign Language.   Please do not be surprised if your child starts singing Christmas songs.  The festivities are already filtering in the air.
 
Thank you,
Miss Robin

November 16th - November 20th, 2009

PRESCHOOL PEEK FOR NOVEMBER 16-20
 
 
Preschoolers had a continuous week of fun.  We enjoyed learning about the different community helpers.  We had two special guest appearances from people who serve as community helpers  We had story time with Miss Pauline from The Greenville Public Library and a special visit from Esme's uncle, Officer Anderson from the East Greenwich Police Station.  Thank you to both of you for sharing your time and explaining what you do for the community.
 
  They really enjoyed pretending to be traffic cops with their badges in the park area of school.  They thought they were so cool while they played red light, green light.  I must admit it was quite cute.  They did a fantastic job with their measuring skills during our cooking activity when we made chocolate chip cookies.
 
The letter of the week was creative, as well. We talked about the two sounds that the letter c makes.  They practiced the hard c for cat and the soft c while saying circle. The preschoolers painted in the letter C with secondary colors using a carrot for the paintbrush.  We discussed how red, yellow and blue are called primary colors because they can be combined to make a different color-secondary colors.  Red and blue made purple, yellow and blue made green, and red and yellow made orange.  They also worked on their turn taking skills by playing Candyland. 
 
They made creative masterpieces will Miss Ann Marie, as well.  The students were instructed to work with the marker to coordinate with the music.  Every time they heard the music get higher, they colored higher on the paper and when it was lower they colored near the bottom. 
 
The next two weeks will be dedicated to Thanksgiving.  I will be having the students talk about what it means to be thankful, and they will be sharing what they are thankful for.  I will be focusing on traditions that both the Pilgrims and The Native Americans had that we still recognize every November.  I will be reviewing three letters this week and three next week.   This weeks letters are A, B, and F.  The preschoolers are invited to bring in one item for one letter of his, or her choice.
 
Thank you,
Miss Robin

November 9th - November 13th, 2009

PRESCHOOL PEEK OF THE WEEK FOR NOVEMBER 9-13
 
 
Another tremendous week took place here at The Little Village Schoolhouse.  The preschoolers enjoyed learning that transportation meant getting from one place to another.  They got a kick out of trying to joke with me that they get to school by a plane, or a bus.  They talked about the different modes of transportation by land, sea and air.  We also discussed how you don't have to just get in a vehicle for something to be considered transportation.  They learned walking, running, hopping, horseback riding, and riding a bicycle are all means of transportation.  We enjoyed having some relay races outside to add to the fun.  The bulletin board looks fantastic, too.  They worked very hard recognizing different shapes, then they cut them out to form a train.
 
The letter of the week was terrific as well.  They truly enjoyed their teddy bear parade.  They even took their teddies on a pretend train ride.  We also had a tea party in store.  They also loved using Miss Paula's trolls in the park area.  We concentrated on how to make a triangle shape and how it has three sides. A few of my preschoolers are working on how to spell sight words.  This week's words were to, the and I.
 
This coming week's theme will be Community Helpers.  I will be focusing on people they probably see on a fairly regular basis; such as, police officers, mail carriers, doctors, dentists, teachers and librarians.  We will be having a visit from Miss Pauline from the Greenville Public Library on Tuesday, November 10. 
 
We will be working on the circle and semi-circle shapes.  We will be reviewing how to make secondary colors.  Lastly, we will be cooking with the preschoolers, too-yummy chocolate chip cookies.  We do have some gluten free chocolate chip cookies in the school for those who cannot have our cookies.  Everyone will take part in the cooking aspect of the cookie project, whether they can eat the cookies, or not.  The letter of the week will be C.
 
****Please keep in mind we are closed on Wednesday, November 11 in honor of Veteran's Day****
 
Thank you,
Miss Robin

November 2nd - November 6th, 2009

PRESCHOOL PEEK OF THE WEEK NOVEMBER 2-6, 2009
 
Halloween was a huge hit here at The Little Village Schoolhouse.  The preschoolers loved making handprint spiders, making paper towel bats and learning about how the bats are nocturnal. They thought it was silly that they sleep upside down, too.  The Halloween parties went flawlessly and the children all looked absolutely adorable parading in their costumes.  We practiced saying trick-or-treat and thank you after they received the treat, so hopefully they will all remember for Saturday.
 
Ann-Marie taught us some wonderful new Halloween songs and stories that your children would probably love to act out for you.  They are doing a great job remembering her songs from week to week. 
 
The letter of the week went well.  In addition to the handprint spiders, we talked about different houses that animals live in.  They knew spiders dwelled just about anywhere, their houses can be both inside and outside.  We even got to witness one spinning a web in the park area-not to worry it was let outside after they all observed how the spider dangled down and then spun back up.  We also talked about how some animals house is carried on their backs, such as a turtle, or a hermit crab.  We made adorable Halloween hats by making a pattern of orange and black paper.  Then, we decorated the letter H with black and orange hearts.  We also used hula hoops outside to add the letter of the week to the playground once again.
 
This week's theme will be Transportation.  I will be talking about the different modes of transportation-including land, sea and air transportation.  Please discuss with your child if they have been on a plane, or a boat.  They will be graphing whether they have used these modes of transportation.  The letter of the week will be T. 
 
Your child is invited to bring in his, or her favorite teddy bear on Tuesday, November 3 and Wednesday, November 4.  Once again, please be sure to label these wonderful treasures.  Thank you!
 
Miss Robin

October 26th - October 30th, 2009

PRESCHOOL PEEK OF THE WEEK FOR OCTOBER 26-30, 2009
 
Pumpkins were a perfect theme for the preschoolers.  They enjoyed learning that pumpkins grow on vines.  I talked about how silly it would be for pumpkins to grow on trees because they get too big and heavy.  They also liked learning that the pumpkins grow from were flowers use to be on the vines.  They learned that pumpkins start off as green, then turn yellow and finally are ready to be picked when they turn orange.  Lena also brought in a white pumpkin from her garden at home.  They loved seeing the vine, flowers and pumpkins up close.  We also scooped out the inside of the pumkin, counted out its seeds, cleaned them and Miss Paula roasted them at her house.  YUMMY!  They compared the outside of the pumpkin, saying it was shiny and smooth to its inside, where it was slimy and stringy.
 
Our letter of the week was positively perfect, too.  The preschoolers decorated the letter P with pom poms, painted with pinecones and made pasta bracelets.  We used puppets, princesses and pattern blocks in the school room, too.  They really enjoy making patterns and they are quite good at it.
 
We learned orange pizza in Sign Language and black, (negro) in Spanish.  These were perfect colors to learn in order to transition to this week's theme.
 
Yes, you guessed it-HALLOWEEN!!!  We have so many activities planned it's scary!  Our two Halloween parties will be celebrated on Thursday, October 29 and Friday, October 30.
 
 
***PLEASE SEND YOUR CHILD TO SCHOOL IN HIS/HER COSTUME-LABELED WITH YOUR CHILD'S NAME***ALSO, SEND IN A LABELED BAG OF CLOTHES TO CHANGE INTO AFTER THE TRICK-OR-TREATING IS DONE, THANK YOU!
 
Thank you in advance to those of you who signed up to help out with the festivities.  The letter of the week will be H.
 
Thank you,
Miss Robin

October 19th - October 23rd, 2009

PRESCHOOL PEEK OF THE WEEK FOR OCTOBER 19-23
 
 
Fun was had by all for our Fire Safety theme.  We talked about the importance of smoke detectors and remembering to check the batteries.  Some students even got to hear our school smoke detector say "Low battery."  What perfect timing for this week's theme.  The preschoolers did a wonderful job practicing their stop, drop, and roll to put the pretend fire out.  I used heart shaped felt pieces to simulate fire being on their clothing.  They also really enjoyed the visit with Firefighter Pete and Firefighter John.  Please remember to complete the at-home assignment regarding an Evacuation plan and a meeting place in the event of a fire.
 
We carried the Fire Safety them into our class store.  I talked about how firefighters cook, eat, and sleep at the firehouse.  The students loved wearing the fire hats and dalmatian headbands while cooking and grocery shopping for their friends.
 
The letter of the week was fantastic, too.  We made framed, feathered Fs.  We also painted with forks.  The preschoolers worked on the fire truck and farm puzzles in the park area, as well.
 
We had a special visitor begin this week, too.  Miss Pauline from the Greenville Public Library will be coming to read the students once a month.  She came this past Wednesday and she will be alternating days so she can see all of the different students.  The preschoolers enjoyed the two fire safety stories she read.
 
This week's theme will be pumpkins.  We will be exploring the pumpkin both inside and out.  We'll compare how the pumpkin feels before and after we carve it.  We'll also count pumpkin seeds and roast them.  If your child has gone pumpkin picking this year, please remind him, or her so they can share that information with the class.  Thank you.  The letter of the week will be P.
 
Enjoy your weekend!
 
Thank you,
Miss Robin

October 13th - October 16th, 2009

PRESCHOOL PEEK OF THE WEEK FOR OCTOBER 13-16, 2009
 
Our barn theme was moo-velous this week. The preschoolers learned about foods we get from different  barn animals. For example, we discussed how pigs give us ham, pork and bacon; that we get hamburgers and steak from cows-plus milk, of course. The pig paper plates came out adorable and they really liked the story of The Little Red Hen and making red hen handprints.
 
We incorporated our theme into the park area, as well. The preschoolers enjoyed building farm yards for each animal; they made pig stys for the pigs, stables for the horses, and had the cows parade around in a pretend pasture. We sang Baa, Baa black sheep, Mary had a little lamb, and Old MacDonald-we even got to do that one in sign language with Miss Debbie.
 
Our letter of the week was boundless, too. We brought bubbles and blue balloons outside to add something with the letter b to the playground. We decorated the letter b with black and brown beans, and we played bounce, bounce Bunny instead of Duck, Duck, Goose. There was also a special sighting of a blue blimp flying in the sky on Monday. 
 
This week's theme will be Fire Safety. We will have a special visit from a local firefighter on both Thursday and Friday morning.  We will discuss the importance of having smoke detectors in our houses. I will also talk about how we have a meeting place to line up at when we have fire drills, and how the preschoolers may want to think of a place to meet at their homes in the event of an emergency. Do not be surprised if you find that as an assignment for a home-to-school connection.  The letter of the week will be F.
 
Please keep in mind that we are closed on Monday October 12th in honor of Columbus Day.  Enjoy your long weekend with the family. I hope that one day is nice enough for a hayride and some pumpkin picking, I know that's what I want to do with my boys.
 
Thank you,
Miss Robin

October 5th - October 9th, 2009

PRESCHOOL PEEK OF THE WEEK OCTOBER 5-9, 2009
 
 
Our five senses theme was a sensation.  The preschoolers learned about the five senses in a variety of ways.  We explored with sand being added to paint for our fingerpainting to incorporate our sense of touch, played "Guess that Smell" game, and had a sample of different foods for our sense of taste-my favorite activity!   I also reminded the preschoolers that all of these activities used our sense of sight.
 
The letter of the week was super, too.  We made sandcastles and played different sports outside.  We played I Spy.  We had our weekly dose of shaving cream.  We also painted with string-their paintings were really beautiful.
 
Our theme for next week will be Barn Animals.  The letter of the week will be B.
 
Thank you,
Miss Robin

September 28th - October 2nd, 2009

PRESCHOOL PEEK OF THE WEEK (SEPTEMBER 28-OCT.2)
 
It was great to see all of you at the Open House on Wednesday. I hope that you now have a better understanding of what your child does at school.  The children loved to hear that you were at the school during the night time, they thought that was so silly.
 
The preschoolers had a lovely time learning about what happens to leaves in the Fall.  Please do not be surprised if they want to rake leaves into a pile and then jump in it.  We talked about what fun that could be!!!
 
They loved collecting the leaves and grouping them into the different colors.  We also compared the shapes of the leaves and talked about how they fall from trees that have different names, like oak or maple trees.
 
To expand on the leaf theme, I touched on the topic of Fall.  They learned that it's getting cooler out now so they should be bringing in a jacket, or sweatshirt for outdoor play.  However, please keep in mind, it still does get warmer in the afternoon, so be sure to dress your child in layers with a t-shirt at the bottom.  We also talked about how it's getting darker earlier at this time of year.
 
The letter of the week was fun filled as well.  We, of course, enjoyed our weekly dose of writing in shaving cream.  In addition to that the preschoolers practiced their lacing with lacing cards, reviewed letters, and used leaf shape cookie cutters in playdough.  They are really doing a fantastic job with the sound the letter makes, too.  They love coming up to sing about what they brought in from home.
 
This week's theme will be The Five Senses. The letter of the week is S.
 
***  Please send your child to school with one, or two items to be used in our GUESS THAT SMELL game.  If you have any scarves, or bandanas for our blindfold activity, it would be great if you could send those in as well.  Thank you!***
 
One final request, please send a pocket folder in for your child.  It will be much easier for everyone to transport papers to and from school.
 
Thank you,
Miss Robin 

September 21st - September 25th, 2009

Preschool Peek of the Week-September 21-25

The preschoolers were singing and seeing apples everywhere. They loved fingerpainting the different colored apples and they also did a wonderful job using their cutting skills to make the stained-glass apples. We also did a taste testing of  red and green apples. Then we graphed the choices to see what color they liked the best, and which was the least favorite. You can check with your child to find out the results! In the store they pretended to bake pies, make apple juice and sold apples from their apple orchard. We also learned how to say red apples in Spanish with Miss Julia.

The letter of the week is taking off, too. Please remember to send in items that correspond with the letter we are focusing on. Thank you! The preschoolers enjoyed starting the journals for the letter A. They had a blast writing the letter A in shaving cream! Who knew learning could be such fun???  We also continued the letter writing outside in the playground and they wrote letters in the sand.

This week's theme is leaves. To have a home to school connection, I am asking that you and your child collect several leaves over the weekend. The letter of the week will be L.

I look forward to seeing everyone on Wednesday night, (Sept. 23) for Back to School Night.

Thank You,
Miss Robin

September 14th - September 18th, 2009

Preschool Peek for Week of Sept.14-18, 2009

The preschoolers have continued to do a great job with their social skills this week.  I did a lot of role playing with them on what they should do if another student has something that they want, rather than just grabbing the said item away from the other child.  We also discussed what to do when we cough, or sneeze.  If you see your child coughing into his, or her elbow, that is what we practiced.  I explained that when you cough into your elbow the germs stay on you rather than going into the air, or in their hands where the students will then cause the toys to get full of the germs.  I also directed them to get a tissue, blow their nose, and then wash.  We are all doing are best to stay healthy this year!

I also reviewed our class rules again, and hung their handprints around the paper I wrote the rules on.  This way they can see how they all made an agreement to do their best to follow the rules.  They have been doing a fantastic job!  When they do break a rule, I remind them, and if it involves running in the school, I make them go back to where they started and return to me with "walking feet."  Now that I have devoted the first two weeks to establishing rules and forming the beginnings of friendships I would like to start with a new theme.

This week's theme will be devoted to apples.  I have lots of fun projects, books and songs planned to coordinate with the theme.  I also will be starting our Letter of the Week. 

***The letter of the week is a chance for your child to bring in an item from home to sing about.  I have the child come up to the front of the class to share the item.  This gives the child the chance to feel more comfortable in front of the class, an opportuniy to have all eyes and ears on him/her, and it increases the phonemic awareness of each letter of the week.  In additon to the singing of the items, I will also have each child begin a journal where he, or she will draw a picture of something that begins with the given letter of the week.***

PLEASE SAVE THE DATE FOR WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23RD!!! That night will be our "BACK TO SCHOOL" night.  More information will be sent home by Tuesday, Septemer 15.

Thank you,
Miss Robin

September 7th - September 11th, 2009

The preschoolers have had a fun filled week of forming friendships, listening to stories, learning new songs, and making projects.  The beginning conversations between the children and their new friends are adorable to listen too and quite comical at times.

Be sure to check out the cardboard people they made to resemble themselves-they are adorable!

They all have done a wonderful job learning the routine so far and I am impressed on how well they can already line up to go outside-trust me, that is a huge deal!  I am also proud of the parents for being so brave and allowing your child the chance to attend our fantastic school.  Your being upbeat about school has a huge impact on how they feel about coming.  As always, please feel free to call to check on your child any time during the day.

I am continuing this coming week with the "Getting to Know You  Theme."  I have had the chance to learn your child's likes and dislikes.  However, I would like to have the children adapt more socially with each other, become more comfortable with the school, and get to know them even better. 

A few things I would like to ask are: please remember to label your child's items, particularly his, or her lunchboxes.  I have about thirteen girls most days, and when I ask them what color lunch box they have, the answer is usually pink.  Then I go out to the foyer to help them, and realize why they have difficulty finding the lunch box, they all are quite similiar.  Also, please send your child in with slippers to change into when inside.  It will be getting chilly soon and this would also make him, or her feel more comfortable at school.  Lastly, please send your child to school with pictures of his, or her family.  I would appreciate getting the pictures by Wed. Sept. 9th.  Keep in mind these pictures will be cut and glued.  Thank you! 

Miss Robin

August 31st - September 4th, 2009

It is hard to believe that the Summer is actually over and we are bak to school already.  I hope that everyone had a wonderful Summer and that you managed to have some relaxing time.  At least the sun came out for the month of August.  I would like to welcome back my returning students and look forward to meeting some new faces.  Below, is a glimpse of what my usual peek of the week will look like, I tailored it this time since it's the beginning of the school year.
 
Every week I will be discussing what we did and touch base on what to anticipate for the upcoming week.  It is in your best interest to check the computer weekly to see what your child has done, or will be doing.  This also allows me to tell you about any special dates to remember, or items that should be sent to school with your child.  Thank you.
 
This week I will be taking the opportunity to re-connect with my returning students to see how their Summer was and see how they progressed academically, if they did.  Since it was Summer, I expected them to be the young children they are and enjoy their time off from school.  I also will be getting to know my new students and assess what they know.  Preschool is a time of learning, whether it's educationally, or socially.  I anticpate my students to be at different learning levels because they are all individuals.  So, I would like to preface this school year by stating please don't be concerned if you see students who write words, or letters, if your child is still having difficulty with letter recognition. Your child will learn at his, or her pace, but they will learn.  My primary concern for the entire school year, but especially the first few weeks, is to help ensure your child's comfort level and happiness.
 
I typically have weekly thematic units, which I will start again in mid-Sept.  However, for the first two weeks, I will be having a "Getting to Know You" theme.  This is for both myself and the students.  During this time I will be introducing the students to each other, singing some new and familiar songs, establishing class rules, and doing some activities, which include projects, though this may not occur daily.  I assure you whether your child has something to bring home from school, or not, they will have a mouthful to share about his, or her day.  There is rarely a dull moment at TLVS!
 
Please send your child to school with some pictures of their family by Sept. 8.  Keep in mind these pictures will be cut and/or glued.  Thank you!
 
I look forward to a wonderful school year getting to know your child and you.  If you have any questions, or concerns, please don't hesitate to ask.
 
Miss Robin