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.

My spirit rejoices in God my Savior

The students have been busy this week (and for the weeks to come) preparing for the Christmas program that is December 16th. They are learning new songs and even sign language! I am so excited for them to be able to share the Christmas program with friends and family. It is amazing to see all of the things they are picking up on so quickly! It is a joy to see them working so hard to prepare for this program. I pray that you all enjoy seeing them perform, but also hearing them share the Christmas story with all of you!

Morning Stories:

A stick is an excellent thing by LeUyen Pham

The Twelve Dancing Princesses by Rachel Isadora

The Rhyming Dust Bunnies by Jan Thomas

The Box by Antoinette Portis

If you take a mouse to the movies by Laura Numeroff

Bible Time (One in Christ Curriculum):

This week we have had the opportunity to help the students focus on the coming of the Savior. As November comes to an end, the students are getting very excited for Christmas to come! Our story this week is to help them remember the importance of Christmas time. Not only is this a time for us to be with friends and family - but this is a time to celebrate the birth of our Savior! My spirit rejoices in God my Savior." What a joy it is to be able to share this wonderful story with the students. We remind them that this was a long awaited gift. The gift of our Savior is much more important than any gifts we can receive at Christmas time. He was born to save us - even though we did not deserve saving! What an amazing gift to share with our friends and families this holiday season!

Movement Time (SPARK Curriculum):

As we continue throughout the year, we will have times to help us review some of the things we have learned so far! This week the students are playing various games to help them remember the animal movements they have talked about this year. The students are able to demonstrate their knowledge of galloping, hopping, running, etc. They enjoy being able to play a variety of games while reviewing these actions. They have reviewed some of their favorite warm up songs this year as well!

Music Time (Sing and Make Music Curriculum):

For music this week and until the Christmas program, the students are learning the songs they will be performing. They have learned three verses of 'Away in a Manger'. They know sign language actions for verse one! They have also focused on the refrain of 'Go Tell It On the Mountain' and parts of 'Silent Night'. Unlike last year, the students will have lines to say during the performance as well. It is a joy to hear them telling the Christmas story!

Small Group Time (HighScope Curriculum):

The students have been focusing on the letter K this week! They have also been doing activities relating to phonological awareness.

Monday: introducing the letter K with a fine motor activity, placing alphabet stickers inside the upper and lower case K.

Tuesday: reviewing items that start with the letter K and what sound it makes. Identifying the sound while the teacher is reading a book.

Wednesday: rice tubs filled with letter, students were asked to find the letter K.

Thursday: tracing activity with not only the letter K but also working on their names.

Friday: identifying the sound of the letter k while the teacher is reading the book (part 2).

Planning and Recall Time:

Students were able to use the binoculars once again to plan and recall what they did in the classroom during work time.

Sensory Table:

Alphabet soup! Students were able to make 'soup' with water and letters. Scoops, bowls, spoons and ladles were available for them to use!

Afternoon Table Activities:

The students are able to choose from snack, the sensory table or one of the table activities.

Monday(Math): number puzzles, numbered popsicles and dominoes

Tuesday(Fine Motor): straws with string, connectors, clothespins with colors to match.

Wednesday(Manipulatives): small puzzles, lacing cards, and blocks.

Thursday(Art&Literacy): National Geographic for Kids magazines, watercolors and tracing cards.

Friday(Sensory): sensory bottles and farming tub with corn.

The LORD is our stronghold in times of trouble

This is our last full week of preschool before we have Thanksgiving break! We have been doing several different art projects to help the students enjoy their time before break begins. Next week we only have school Monday through Wednesday. We will be having a FUN week filled with games, activities, art projects and even a movie (hopefully)!

Morning Stories:

The bag I'm taking to Grandma's by Shirley Neitzel

Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems

Frog on a Log by Kes Gray

Little Blue and Little Yellow by Leo Lionni

Looks like spilt milk by Charles G. Shaw

Bible Time (One In Christ Curriculum):

Often times we worry about things that God has promised to take care of. We find ourselves lacking trust in God to take care of us and our needs. The Israelites found themselves in a similar situation in our bible story this week. Our story this week is about the bronze snake (Numbers 21:4-9). The Israelites started to grumble and complain about the things that God had provided them. They wanted better food than what God had given them. In order to show God's power to the Israelites, he sent snakes among them. He wanted them to remember to rely on God. God told Moses to make a bronze snake to put on a pole. When the Israelites looked to the snake with faith in God's promise, they would live. The snake on a pole is very similar to Christ's death on the cross. We can look to him for forgiveness and life. Our passage this week is from Psalm 9:9, "The LORD is a stronghold in times of trouble."

Movement Time (SPARK Curriculum):
The focus for movement this week is leaping. The students have done several warm up songs from the SPARK CD to help get their muscles ready to move. They enjoy being able to not only learn about the importance of exercise in movement, but also in our free time when they are able to do www.gonoodle.com to get their bodies moving! This is a free website that has some age appropriate options for preschoolers!

Music Time (Sing and Make Music Curriculum):

This week they have been working on high and low pitches in music. They have also started working on their songs that they will sing for the Christmas concert on December 16th. We have been learning 'Away in a Manger' with sign language. They students have loved working on verse 1 so far! We are hoping to be able to add one or two more.

Small Group Time (HighScope Curriculum):

They have focused on the letter J this week in small group. Our KDI (Key Developmental Indicator) for the week is numbers.

Monday- introduction to the letter J and practicing how to write it out on a white board.

Tuesday- a number chart with counting bears/dinosaurs.

Wednesday- the same number chart, this time the students are gluing tissue square to represent the number on the chart.

Thursday- pipecleaners with beads and numbers to place the proper amount on each.

Friday- creating a jellyfish while practicing upper and lower case J.

Sensory Table:

This week the students are able to use tweezers, tubes and paper shavings in the sensory table!

Planning/Recall Time (HighScope Curriculum):

The students are able to once again use the binoculars to spot things in the classroom that they would like to use during work time.

Afternoon Table Activities:

They are able to choose from the table activities, snack or the sensory table in the afternoon.

Monday(Math)- numbered popsicles, puzzles and Jenga

Tuesday(Fine Motor)- beads with pipecleaners and lacing cards.

Wednesday(Manipulatives)- foam blocks and two tubs of rice.

Thursday(Art and Literacy)- creating a candy corn art project and watercolors.

Friday(Sensory)- sensory bottles and a tub of corn with farming items.

Love the Lord your God

This week we have been able to have parent teacher conferences. I pray that you were able to learn more about your child and how they are doing in preschool. God has truly blessed our class this year. It is a joy to see how much they have changed since August! They continue to grow each day as we learn more. God is good.

Morning Stories:

Don't Push the Button by Bill Cotter

Peter's Chair by Ezra Jack Keats

The Hat by Jan Brett

Goodnight Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann

Wolfie the Bunny by Ame Dyckman

Bible Time (One in Christ Curriculum):

The students have been hearing the story of God giving the ten commandments. God gave the Commandments to us to show us the meaning of living a godly life and to show us that we need a Savior. God offers us forgiveness and restores us daily through the saving grace of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is the Holy Spirit working in us that enables us to grow in our faith. God has given us the ten commandments in love. In return we can show our love to him. As it says in Deuteronomny 6:5, "Love the Lord your God." What a wonderful blessing to know that God has loved us so much that he looks past the mistakes we make in life and shows us His grace. He loves us despite our flaws. It is amazing to see the amount of love He shows us. God is good.

Movement Time (SPARK Curriculum):

Our main focus this week in movement is skipping. The students have been learning this gross motor movement slowly. We have tried to make them focus on lifting their knees high and slowly moving around the room. Each day the students are able to attempt the movement faster and faster as they are comfortable. They have been able to do these activities while playing different games and using their knowledge of the dances in movement time on the SPARK CD.

Music Time (Sing and Make Music Curriculum):

This week, the students have been focusing on different types of sounds in music. They have new songs this week: "Hey Mister Big Drum', 'Little Ducky Dudddle', and 'Are you Sleeping?" Soon the students will be working on their songs for the Christmas program during music time. They will be working on a few different songs and recitations for the program. The program is in December.

Small Group Time (HighScope Curriculum):

The letter of the week is I. The students have used our Alaskan alphabet which tells us that iceberg begins with the letter I. The KDI (Key Developmental Indicator) the students are using this week is children explore and use different tools and technology.

Monday- the students were able to use glue and various shapes to make a big and little I.

Tuesday- they went on a letter hunt in the classroom for I.

Wednesday- the students were able to use various tools to create icebergs. They did this with shaving cream, glue and blue paper!

Thursday- they used several different tools to break the ice.

Friday- the students took ice chunks and used them to create a watercolor picture of things that start with the letter I.

Planning Time (HighScope Curriculum):

This week the students are able to use binoculars to do their planning and recall time. Students can look around the classroom at areas and items that they would like to play with during work time.

Afternoon Table Activities:

After the students are finished with rest time, they are able to choose from snack and one of the following activities:

Monday(Math)- number puzzles, tracing numbers with dry erase markers and memory math.

Tuesday(Fine Motor)- connectors, small puzzles and geoboards.

Wednesday(Manipulatives)- link n logs, fitting straws in holes of a container and a United State of America puzzle.

Thursday(Art and Literacy)- alphabet art with letter cards and finger painting.

Friday(Sensory)- shaving cream on the tables to make letters.

Nothing will be impossible with God

As the weather continues to change, the children are enjoying spending their time outside! They are very excited to play in the snow each day. They are also very excited for the Trunk or Treat event that is happening at Faith on Friday the 28th of October. Bring your friends and family to this safe environment for trick or treating, games, pumpkin painting and more! It will take place at Faith Lutheran from 5-8pm. We hope to see you there.

Morning Stories:
Click, Clack, Peep! by Doreen Cronin
I wish you more by Amy Krause Rosenthal
Otis and the Scarecrow by Loren Long
Who goes there? by Karma Wilson
My New Friend is SO Fun by Mo Willems

Bible Time (One in Christ Curriculum):
In our bible story this week, the students are able to hear about how God takes care of His people. God alone shows His strength and power to all in the parting of the Red Sea. He was able to wash away the enemies and save the people. For us, we face different enemies today. Our enemies are sin, death and the power of the devil. We are constantly feeling a weight from these enemies. God provides a way out. He washes away our sins and saves us through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. God is always with us and will take care of us. He knows our every need and understands our weaknesses. Nothing can separate us from the love of God. We should trust in Him and know that nothing is impossible with His help. We have focused on 'I've Got Peace Like a River' this week as our bible song. We will continue to add verses on in the weeks to come.

Movement Time (SPARK Curriculum):
This week they are able to look at different pathways (curvy, zig-zag and straight). Students are working on performing various locomotor movements on these types of pathways. We taped the pathways on the carpet for movement and the students must work to stay on the path as best as possible. They continue to warm their bodies up for movement time through various songs in the SPARK curriculum.

Music Time (Sing and Make Music Curriculum):
Tempo has been the focus for this week as well. The students are adding more instruments and songs to help them better understand the concept of tempo. They have learned 'Here We Go 'Round the Mulberry Bush' as their song this week. They can focus on fast and slow tempo in this song. They also review songs from the previous weeks and use shakers to help keep a steady beat while singing the songs.

Small Group Time (HighScope Curriculum):
Each week the students focus on a new letter or a new artist! This week the students are back to a letter. They have been learning about the letter G. In our Alaskan alphabet, the letter G represents gold. The KDI (key developmental indicator) this week has been patterns.

Monday- introduction to the letter G. The students were able to create a pattern on their upper and lowercase G's.

Tuesday- the students were able to list several different items that started with the letter g. They also made patterns using linking cubes.
Wednesday- they were able to create a pattern using legos. Each group used one other color and the color green.
Thursday- the students were able to create an art project using patterns and things that start with the letter G: glitter, green, g stickers!
Friday- The students created a pattern using their names this week!

Planning and Recall Time (HighScope Curriculum):
This week the students have been able to pass and pass the pumpkin for planning and recall time! They have enjoyed being able to use a new item that reflects the time of year. They pass and pass it around in a circle until all of the students have been able to plan/recall.

Afternoon Table Activities:
The students are able to choose between snack and the afternoon table activities this week.

Monday(Math): number puzzles, dominoes and blocks
Tuesday(Fine Motor): tweezers with a colored sorting pie, colored pencils and crazy scissors
Wednesday(Manipulatives): duplo blocks and floor puzzles
Thursday(Art & Literacy): painting a pumpkin on paper with legos
Friday(Sensory): corn tub with farming items