Wednesday, February 15, 2017

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.
 


Thursday, February 9, 2017

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.