He is risen! He is risen indeed.

This week I will not be having a typical blog post.

I apologize for not writing the blog sooner! As the school year comes to an end, there are many things to finish before our time is up! I am excited to share with a few pictures and items that we have been learning about the past few weeks.

In the past weeks, the students have covered a variety of topics in their class time! In bible, the students have talked about Zacchaeus, the man who says thank you, Jesus riding into Jerusalem and the last supper. It is amazing to see the students picking up on these stories. Since it is holy week, the students have been focusing on Jesus suffering and dying on the cross. An amazing story about Jesus death but also his resurrection. The students will hear the amazing Easter story next week as we talk about Jesus resurrection even more! What a blessing to share this news with them. I pray you all have time to focus on not only Jesus suffering and death - but his victory over the grave! He is risen. He is risen indeed. God bless your Easter celebration this weekend.

The students have been able to look at two artists in the past week: Claude Monet and Georgia O'Keefe. The students were able to recreate sunsets, flowers and other projects based on these two artists. In small group they have also focused more on the letters U, V, and W. The students were able to look at making patterns, work on their writing skills (first and last names!) and counting. It is amazing to see the progress that the students have had from just after Christmas! God is good. I am excited to share more information with you all at our parent/teacher conferences next week.

In the past weeks, the students had been preparing to sing in church this past Sunday. They did an amazing job singing Hosanna and Shine Jesus Shine.  I am so thankful that so many of the children were able to join us during the church service to sing. They were so excited to sing these songs for all of you! Lately the students have been looking at sing along books such as: Peanut Butter and Jelly, 5 Little Monkeys, There's a hole in my bucket and 5 speckled frogs. They love learning actions and hearing a story while singing along!

As the weeks become busier and busier, I will do my best to post little bits of information on the students each week. If I am able, I will continue to write a blog post as well!

Check out our Facebook page for photo updates each week on what the students are doing!

Happy Easter!

He is risen!

He is risen indeed!

Have mercy upon us, O LORD

It is the last week of school before spring break! It is a wonderful thing to be able to enjoy with out students before we have a week off of school. This week they have been able to make several different art projects (during work time and small group). They have been busy enjoying this wonderful sunshine and chilly weather. We are thankful for time spent outside!

Students were getting creative outside!

Here we have a bonfire while roasting marshmallows.

Morning Stories:

The elves and the shoemaker by Mara Alperin

Grumpy Cat by Britta Teckentrup

We are growing! by Laurie Keller ** (a new favorite for the kids)

I am invited to a party! by Mo Willems

Please, Mr. Panda? by Steve Antony

Bible Time (One in Christ Curriculum):

This week the students having been hearing a story about a man named Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus was hated by most people in his town. He had lied, cheated and stolen money from those around him. One day, Jesus was in town. Zacchaeus attempted to go and see Jesus and hear him speak. He was a short man and had to climb into a tree to be able to see Jesus. To the crowds amazement, Jesus walked over to Zacchaeus and told him to get down out of the tree. Jesus wanted to go to his house and have dinner with him. Zacchaeus saw the mercy of his Savior. Despite the mistakes Zacchaeus had made in his life, Jesus provided him the forgiveness he so desperately needed. It is amazing to see the love that He shows to all of us - even though we do not deserve it.

Movement Time (SPARK Curriculum):

This week students were able to play the Circus Act song and game. The students were asked to display a knowledge of how an animal moves throughout the game (gallop, hop, etc). The students loved being able to show their knowledge of animals, but also how far they have come being able to do large motor movements.

Music Time (Sing and Make Music Curriculum):

Students have been reviewing songs from music this week as well as bible time. They are able to do the actions for songs and act them out when applicable. The students were able to choose what songs they would like to sing throughout music time.

Small Group Time (HighScope Curriculum):

This week, students are looking at an artist: Claude Monet, who was a leading figure of French Impressionism. The students were able to recreate their own versions of some of his paintings this week.

Monday: free paint with watercolors, students then designed their flower using the paper that they painted with watercolors.

Tuesday: students created a sunset background using red, yellow and orange.

Wednesday: they created a shadow for their sunset picture using black paint. Many students chose to do buildings, mountains or a person!

Thursday: ice painting with Miss Schneck!

Afternoon Table Activites:

Monday(Math): numbered muffin tins with beads, number puzzles, tracing numbers and number books.

Tuesday(Fine Motor): connectors, blocks, lacing cards, and tracing items.

Wednesday(Manipulatives): legos, small puzzles, stacking blocks, and 'I Spy' books.

Thursday(Art&Literacy): word puzzles, boggle jr., alphabet puzzles, and finger paints.

Friday(Sensory): happy half day of school! No activities.  

Painting with ice!

 

Jesus said, "Learn from me."

God has blessed us with some beautiful (but cold) weather this week. The kids have enjoyed being able to get some sun shine. We have had a fun week being able to learn more about measuring, the letter T and Jesus! It is amazing to see how far the students have come from the beginning of the year. Some of the students are showing amazing steps since Christmas too! God is so good. Enrollment is now open for our 2017-18 school. It is a blessing to know that we will be able to share time with your children (and some new children) this next year! I am so thankful I am able to see these children grow each day. They continue to surprise me in wonderful ways!

Students enjoyed a game of 'duck duck goose'

with Miss Schneck during outside time!

Morning Stories:
Rumpelstiltskin by Mara Alperin
If you give a mouse a brownie by Laura Numerof
Ada Twist Scientist by Andrea Beaty
The thing about Yetis by Vin Vogel
There's a giraffe in my soup! by Ross Burach

Bible Time (One in Christ Curriculum):
For the week, students are hearing the story about Jesus visiting his friends Mary and Martha. In this story the students see that Martha was busy cleaning and cooking preparing for Jesus. While she was doing this, her sister Mary was not helping her. Instead, Mary was listening to Jesus speak. Martha shared her frustrations with Jesus asking Mary to help. Jesus reminds Martha that Mary has chosen something far more important than anything else - His Word. As it says in our passage this week from Matthew 11:29, "Jesus said, 'Learn from me'." It is important that we realize no matter how busy life may be, a priority should be to learn more about our Savior. He is our provider and strength. In good times and in bad, we can find our strength in Him. He will always be there for us, no matter the circumstances. God is good.

Shine Jesus Shine

Lord the light of your love is shining

in the midst of the darkness shining

Jesus light of the world shine upon us

set us free with the truths you now bring us

shine on me, shine on me

Shine Jesus shine

fill this land with the Father's glory

blaze Spirit blaze

set our hearts on fire

flow river flow

floods the nations with grace and mercy

send forth Your Word

Lord and let there be light

Movement Time (SPARK Curriculum):

The students have been working with different types of lines this week! They are able to several different movements such as: running, hopping, skipping, galloping and walking while staying on these different lines. On the floor we have zig-zag, curvy and straight! They have enjoyed being able to show their skill on the lines. As a challenge the students can go backwards as well! That will be introduced later this week.

Music Time (Sing and Make Music Curriculum):

Students have reviewed several songs from this year so far! The new song this week is 'Down in my heart' which is a song they will also be using later this month in Bible. They are using egg shakers to keep a steady beat while singing. They are able to using them by hitting their lap or shaking them in the air.

Small Group Time (HighScope Curriculum):

Our letter this week is the letter Tt. The KDI (Key Developmental Indicator) is measuring.

Monday- The students were able to measure themselves in the hallway. Students were asked who was the tallest in the class and who was the shortest. They were reminded that it does not matter if you are tall or short, we are all growing!

Tuesday- The students were able to use rulers to measure items. We were able to count the numbers on the ruler (inches) up to twelve. The students were then asked to find items that would reach the 3, 5, 7 and 12 (etc) through the small group activity.

Wednesday- The students worked on tracing their Tt's and also practiced writing their numbers. After our activity on Tuesday, several students asked if we could work on writing our numbers! I adapted our small group for Wednesday to meet their request.

Thursday- Students used linking cubes to be able to measure items! Once again they were asked to use a certain amount of cubes and find an item to match. After a few rounds of that activity, they were able to pick an item and count how many cubes it would take to measure it.

Friday- We are having a 'fun friday' activity based on the letter Tt. Students will be able to paint with TOOTHBRUSHES!

Afternoon Table Activities:

Students can choose from floor puzzles, table activities or snack.

Monday(Math): number puzzle, beads with numbered pipecleaners, linking cubes and memory.

Tuesday(Fine Motor): sorting pie with tweezers, straws with tubes that have small holes, beads with string and lacing cards.

Wednesday(Manipulatives): blocks, mini legos, tracks and pictureka!

Thursday(Art and Literacy): National Geographic for Kids magazines, finger painting and whiteboards with markers.

Friday(Sensory): sensory bottles, kinetic sand and floor puzzles.

Forgive as the Lord forgave you

It has been an exciting week in preschool! Not only have we had the opportunity to celebrate Valentine's Day together - but we have started our kindergarten for a day experiences! For the students who are old enough to go into kindergarten next year, they are able to head into our kindergarten classroom at Faith with Miss Snyder to experience what it is like for a day! They are able to go in pairs and select a full or half day experience. What a joy it is to see these children grow up each day! It is hard to believe so many of them will be going into kindergarten next year.

Morning Stories:
The three billy goats gruff by Mara Alperin
Pigloo by Anne Marie Pace
One more dino on the floor by Kelly Starling Lyons
I hear a pickle by Rachel Isadora
Snowy Bear by Tony Mitton

Bible Time (One in Christ Curriculum):
"Jesus' parable of the lost son begins with the sinful son selfishly squandering his premature inheritance. His downward spiral continues, and the son finds himself empty with hunger and loneliness, filthy in soil and sin." (Concordia Publishing House) Ashamed the son returns home to his father. He is expecting to be scolded, even shunned for his actions. The father, however, is so happy to see his son once again that he welcomes him home with loving arms, despite the mistakes he had made. We can be like the lost son. We can be confused and lost in our own sin, yet despite our mistakes God shows us mercy. He sacrificed His own Son to be our sacrifice. He restores us and brings us home with Him in heaven one day. What an amazing blessing for us to know that despite the mistakes we have and the wrong turns we may make in life - God is always ready to take us in His loving arms. We truly have a reason to celebrate!

Our passage this week:

Movement Time (SPARK Curriculum):

This week we have had a crazy schedule! We have had Valentine's Day, a visit from Pastor Chris Ewings and new teachers floating in and out! The kids have done a great job of staying focused with them. For movement this week, since we have two teachers switching in and out of the room, we have done a lot of GoNoodle as our exercise. We have also reviewed making a bridge and table to our movement time when we are able to.

Music Time (Sing and Make Music Curriculum):

The students are able to review several songs that we have learned throughout the year such as: slippery fish, shine Jesus shine, Jesus loves me, Baby Bumblebee, and more! The kids especially enjoy music time when we are to do actions with our songs. It is wonderful to see how quickly the students have been able to learn the songs that we are singing.

Small Group Time (High Scope Curriculum):

For small group this week, our students are focusing on an artist: Piet Mondrian. They are looking at his art pieces and attempting to recreate them as best they can! Piet Mondrian is best known for cubism.

Monday: red, yellow and blue art projects with squares traced for the students.

Tuesday: VALENTINE'S DAY! Students were able to create pictures, pass out valentines and enjoy a movie.

Wednesday: students worked with partners to paint square with different colors. On the paper there was tape that was later removed to reveal the squares and rectangles on the paper.

Thursday: students use rulers to create their own squares and rectangles on a piece of paper.

Friday: we have a half day of school and the students will be reviewing their artist!

Afternoon Table Activites:

The students can choose from snack, the sensory table (when it is open) and items on the tables.

Monday(Math): numbers with straws, tracing numbers, number memory, sorting shapes.

Tuesday(Fine Motor): tweezers with fruit to sort, beads with string, connectors and geoboards.

Wednesday(manipulatives): stacking blocks, farm yard uno, wooden blocks and puzzles.

Thursday(Art and Literacy): finger painting, National Geographic animal magazines, and floor puzzles.

 

We love because He first loved us

It has a very busy week! The students have been working hard to learn more and more about the lessons we have during class time. As whole, our class is struggling a bit with patience and the classroom rules. We are starting to review the goals of our classroom and how we need to act as we prepare for kindergarten. I would love for you all to focus on this at home as well!

Morning Stories:

Number One Sam by Greg Pizzoli

The Gingerbread Man by Mara Alperin

Max at Night by Ed Vere

Little Penguin gets the hiccups by Tadgh Bentley

Plankton is Pushy by Jonathan Fenske

Bible Time (One in Christ Curriculum):

In our story this week, we hear about the good Samaritan. We learn an important lesson on mercy and showing love to those around us. We are all born imperfect. We all have our own selfish wants in life. We especially can see this at the preschool level. They are just learning what it means to show mercy and love and to care more about others than about yourself. The idea of putting others before themselves can be difficult to imagine. This lesson really shows us the importance of helping other children in the classroom by sharing, helping and thinking of others first. I encourage all of you to reinforce these ideas at home! It can be hard to try and show love to one another. "We love because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19). It is a blessing to know that despite our weaknesses and selfish desires, God shows us His love. What an amazing gift to share with one another, our families and our friends!

Shine Jesus shine

fill this land with the Father's glory

blaze Spirit blaze

set our hearts on fire

flow river flow

flood the nations, with grace and mercy

send forth your Word

Lord and let there be light

Movement Time (SPARK Curriculum):

For the week, the students have been working on making a bridge with their bodies. They have been using several movements (running, jumping, skipping, galloping, etc) to move around the room and warm up for the activities that we have for the week. They have enjoyed learning how to make a bridge and adding 'challenges' to it. They push their stomachs to the sky and together we come up with 'challenges' for the students (kicking one leg while doing a bridge, moving around, etc). They enjoy coming up with creative ways to 'challenge' themselves.

Music Time (Sing and Make Music Curriculum):

In music this week the students have been learning "The Eency Weency Spider" (with a book that has multiple verses). We have been working on actions with this song and reviewing songs that we have been singing in Chapel. The students have enjoyed being able to learn songs with actions or sign language.

Small Group Time (HighScope Curriculum):

This week students have been looking at the letter Rr. We have also been focusing on art projects this week.

Monday- The students took upper and lower case Rs and practice them while also creating rain on their letters! The students added cotton balls for clouds and rain drops.

Tuesday- They were able to work on creating a valentine's day project for their families.

Wednesday- We started to look at the letter R once again. Students practicing writing the letter and were then able to create rainbows using watercolors.

Thursday- They were able to once again work on creating a valentine's day project for their families.

Friday- We are going on an R hunt. Any items in the classroom that are the color RED or begin with the letter R will be on our list as we search throughout the room.

Afternoon Table Activities:

Students can choose between snack, floor puzzles or the items at the tables.

Monday(Math)- practicing writing their numbers with whiteboards, numbered popsicles, and memory.

Tuesday(Fine Motor)- connectors, different types of locks, architextric, and lacing cards.

Wednesday(Manipulatives)- blocks, mini legos, books and Noah's Ark.

Thursday(Art and Literacy)- magnetic blocks, Pictureka!, Jenga and animal books.

Friday(Sensory)- kinetic sand and sensory bottles.

Jesus said, "I am the light of the world"

What an exciting week! We were blessed to have a visit from the Alaska Zoo on Tuesday. They taught us all about the Sitka black-tailed deer. The students got up close and personal with this animal! They were all very excited to see the deer in person. On Wednesday we celebrated our 100th day of school! Students got to play games and activities in the morning followed by a special movie day before our half day students left. It has been a very exciting week. Tomorrow we will have a half day of school! Enjoy a slightly longer weekend with your family.

Morning Stories:

The Ugly Duckling by Mara Alperin

The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf

Are Pirates polite? by Corinne Demas

Max the Brave by Ed Vere

Animals Animals! by Eric Carle

Bible Time (One in Christ Curriculum):

Our story for the week is about Jesus healing the blind man. In our story, a man named Bartimaeus was a poor, blind beggar. He didn't seem important to most people. He was able to show his faith by calling out to Jesus for help. He requested that Jesus help him recover his sight. Jesus was able to heal Bartimaeus. Can you imagine being able to see for the first time? The first thing he saw was his Lord and Savior! What a blessing. There are times in life when we feel small and unimportant. Maybe you feel like your requests are not being heard! We know that one person will always find us to be important - that is our Savior, Jesus. He wants us to come to Him with all our troubles. Sometimes he will answer our prayers, other times he may say no. We need to understand that He knows best. He will provide for us no matter what, even when we do not see His helping hand. Our passage this week is John 9:5, 'Jesus said, "I am the light of the world.'" The students have been working hard to learn sign language to go with our song, 'Shine Jesus Shine'.

Shine Jesus Shine

fill this land with the Father's glory

blaze Sprit blaze

set our hearts on fire

flow river flow

flood the nations with grace and mercy

send forth Your word

Lord and let there be light

Movement Time (SPARK Curriculum):

For the week, students have been focusing on side-sliding. We have been playing several different games that involve the move of side-sliding. They are able to demonstrate this to one another. We continue to do our warm up activity songs for the students to get their bodies moving before focusing on one given concept. We have also reviewed other movements this week such as: galloping, running and walking.

Music Time (Sing and Make Music Curriculum):

Our concept this week is timbre. Students are using bells while learning a new song, "Ring and ring the jingle bells, jingle jingle jingle jingle, ring and ring the jingle bells, jingle jingle jingle." They will be using several different instruments and their voices this week as we review other songs from first semester.

Small Group Time (HighScope Curriculum):

Our KDI (Key Developmental Indicator) this week is shapes. Children identify, describe and name shapes. We have also been looking at the letter P.

Monday- Students used triangles, squares and rectangles to fill up their upper and lower case P.

Tuesday- students were able to sort out shapes by their brown bag

Wednesday- Due to the 100th day of school, students did several activities and games dealing with shapes: memory, sorting and classifying.

Thursday- using pattern blocks, students were able to create a variety of pictures.

Friday- the students will be looking at the letter P. We will be painting a picture for our families.

Afternoon Table Activities:

Students can choose between snack and one of the table activities.

Monday(Math): muffin tins with numbers and buttons, numbered popsicles and gears.

Tuesday(Fine Motor): white boards with markers, connectors, mini legos and geoboards.

Wednesday(Manipulatives): Boggle Jr, Jenga, wooden blocks.

Thursday(Art and Literacy): coloring, sort it out (books), chalk boards

I trust in You, O LORD

A short week already! I hope you all enjoyed an extra day off of school. What a blessing to see all your children back and ready for school once again! They continue to surprise me with their knowledge of concepts and their manners. Thank you so much for letting me get to know your children each day!

Morning Stories:

Pirates don't need tucking in! by Robin Liberty

We're in the wrong book! by Richard Brynne

Little Red Riding Hood by Mara Alperin

Peanut Butter and Cupcake by Terry Border

That's NOT mine by Anna Kang

Bible Time (One in Christ Curriculum):

Our story this week is Jairus' Daughter. The students are able to hear a sad but miraculous story about the power of God. A man came to Jesus begging for help. His daughter was sick. On the way to the man's house they were stopped in the road by a man with horrible news. Jairus was told that his daughter has died. As he was filled with emotions, Jesus reassured the man and said - "Don't be afraid, just believe." As they came to the house, Jesus took the daughters hand and spoke to her, telling her to get up! The people in the room were amazed! Jesus spoke these words and Jairus' daughter came back to life! It is amazing to see the work of our Lord in the lives of those around Him. He was able to bring someone back to life, which seems impossible! We know that we can trust in the Lord, as it says in Psalm 31:14, "I trust in You, O LORD." We too can feel at peace knowing that God is control of our lives. He will continue to show us love and mercy.

Movement Time (SPARK Curriculum):

In movement, they are focusing on galloping. This can be a tricky concept, especially for those younger students. We have been playing various games to help the students solidify this. It will take practice but the students will review throughout the year. Our older students are able to demonstrate their knowledge of galloping to those who are struggling. What a blessing it is to have students working together to help one another! We have also brought GoNoodle back for the students! They enjoy being able to dance and be introduced to new songs as well! This is a free website you can use at home. I always watch the videos before introducing them to the students to be sure that they are age appropriate.

Music Time (Sing and Make Music Curriculum):

The students have been working on rhythm. They have been snapping their fingers and tapping their toes to help them with this concept. We are continuing to review songs that the students are familiar with. They have added another song, 'Hey Betty Martin.' We have been integrating movement and music together in our new flex classroom downstairs. The students enjoy being able to switch back and forth to focus on the concepts and get their bodies moving!

Small Group Time (HighScope Curriculum):

This week we have been focusing on the letter O. The students have been doing various art activities to relate to this letter.

Tuesday: the students worked on tracing their letters once again - this week they practiced their upper and lower case O's.

Wednesday: they created an octopus art project! They used the letter O as the 'head and body' of the octopus and were able to add legs and eyes.

Thursday: they will take the letter O outline and glue pom poms throughout the O.

Friday: they will be creating an Orca art project using a variety of items from our art closet!

Afternoon Table Activities:

The students can choose from one of the activities listed each day or to have snack.

Tuesday(Fine Motor): connectors, Jenga, lacing cards and puzzles.

Wednesday(Manipulatives):numbered muffin tins with buttons, numbered popsicles, number puzzles.

Thursday(Art and Literacy): shaving cream on tables while practicing their letters, books and opposites puzzles.

Friday(Sensory): sensory tubs filled with corn, beans and rice.

God is with you wherever you go.

Welcome back! I hope you all had a wonderful break and enjoyed celebrating Christmas and the new year with family and friends. It is great to see the children come back to school ready to learn! What a blessing to be able to take some time off of school to enjoy more time with the ones that you love! God is good.

Morning Stories:
The Pirate Jamboree by Mark Teague
The Biggest Snowman Ever! by Steven Kroll
Chicken Little by Mara Alperin
This book just ate my dog by Richard Byrre
Go Away Big, Green Monster by Ed Emberley

Bible Time (One in Christ Curriculum):
In our story this week we hear about how God is present and has assured us that we are loved, forgiven, and taken care of. We have the assurance of His death and resurrection to remind us that He is taking care of us. In this world, we have many worries and concerns about the safety of our friends and family. In our story this week, Joseph and Mary (the father and mother of Jesus) were very worried about the safety of their family. They were scared that someone would find Jesus and try to hurt him. As they were traveling, they feared the worst had come true! Suddenly, they could not find Jesus. He was lost. Their fear quickly diminished when they found Jesus studying in the temple. He had a desire to learn more about God's Word. Just like Jesus, we should have a desire to learn more too! What a blessing to know that we have the opportunity to learn more about Him each and every day. We have focused on Joshua 1:9, "God is with you wherever you go." They have also reviewed the song, 'God Loves Me Dearly'.

Movement Time (SPARK Curriculum):
Since we are just getting back from break, the students are reviewing various amounts of movements and games from before Christmas. They are able to work on their special awareness and review the concept of 'homes' in movement time. The students are working on listening to directions for how fast or slow they should move. Their speed and the type of movement are very important this week. They must listen to each instruction before beginning the activity.

Music Time (Sing and Make Music Curriculum):
This week the students are working on rhythm. They are able to review several songs for this concept. They are working on tapping their legs as well as snapping their fingers to work on rhythm. They have enjoyed being able to sing familiar songs after such a long break.

Small Group Time (HighScope Curriculum):
The Key Developmental Indicator (KDI) this week is numbers. The students are focusing on the letter N as well.

Monday: they worked on using a pencil to trace the upper and lower case of the letter N.

Tuesday: the students were able to color an upper and lower case N. After completing, they used scissors to cut out their letters. You can find these displayed outside our classroom on the tree!

Wednesday: we colored out snowflakes that had various numbers on them, the students were able to place them in a line from smallest to greatest.

Thursday: they had to find the hidden snowflakes throughout the room and place the number in the proper pile on the table. (numbers ranged from 1-10)
Friday: the students created a picture using their knowledge of numbers. They were given a piece of paper with flaps that had a number on the front. They had to draw the correct amount of dots inside the flap to represent the number.

Planning and Recall Time:
This week, since we have a few new students, they are able to stand in front of the group for planning and recall. The students are able to tell us what they would love to do during work time. At the end of work time, they are able to tell us about their plan and if they followed it.

Afternoon Table Activities:

Monday(Math): numbered popsicles, connectors, beads with numbered amount on a pipecleaner.
Tuesday(Fine Motor): puzzles, geoboards, Jenga, mini legos
Wednesday(Manipulatives): Pictureka!, sorting pie with tweezers, architectrix, and connecting beads.
Thursday(Art & Literacy): watercolors, Dr. Suess books, crayons and paper.
Friday(Sensory): kinetic sand, sensory bottles and bags.