"I am with you always"

There's nothing my God cannot do!

We are in our last month of school? How crazy is that! Our kids are working hard to prepare for Mother's Day as well as our spring performance that is NEXT WEEK... They are working SO hard... I can't wait for you all to see "Chicken Little" and "Ten on the Sled" 

Due to our activities and practices taking place this week, our schedule will be a little bit different. Our students will still have bible, movement and small group this week... but music time will be replaced by play practice! We will be using our costumes and props this week, so be sure to bring them to school.

Bible Time (One in Christ)
He has won the victory for us by His death and resurrection, we will receive glory! Even though our Savior ascended into heaven, we know that one day we will get to join Him. We will not know when that day will come... but we do know that the Father will welcome us with the words "well done, good and faithful servant" and the saints and angels will rejoice. You can find our story on your handout or in Acts 1:6-11.

Our discovery points this week:

Law: Sometimes our actions and words don't show and tell about the love of Jesus

Gospel: Jesus forgives our sins and promises He will come back to earth and take us with Him to heaven.

Sanctification: Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can share the message of Jesus' love and salvation with everyone.

Our Bible Passage & Song:

This week we will look at Matthew 28:20, "[Jesus said] I am with you always"... we will continue working on "My God is so Great" as our song this week.

Small Group (High Scope)
Our KDI's (key developmental indicators) this week will be number words and symbols: Children recognize and use number words and symbols. We will also work on counting.

Monday: counting bears with picture cards.
Tuesday: creating our Mother's Day project.
Wednesday: string, noodles and number cards.
Thursday: going on a number hunt in the classroom and creating a 1-20 number line.
Friday: cutting our the number to represent how old we are.

Movement (Spark)
Our students will be working on running this week! If the week continues to be rainy or wet outside, we will implement ribbon dancing and parachute play. 

Play Practice
As you know, we will be performing "Chicken Little" and "Ten on the Sled" for our spring performance this year. I will be honest with you, "Ten on the Sled" is going great! "Chicken Little" needs a bit more practice. Our students our struggling to listen to the story and act out the words. We will continue working on our performances. Be sure to have your child's costume at school tomorrow so that we can start practicing with these items! They can be a distraction at first... so it's always good to practice :)

Teacher Appreciation
THANK YOU SO MUCH for our door decorations... I loved being able to read through what each child said. It looks AMAZING in our hallway. Special shout out to those who created the door decor! We are so grateful. 

On the Road to Easter

My God is SO Great

We were blessed with some wonderful weather this past week! I hope and pray that the weather continues this week. Our kids LOVE outside time. We are hoping to have a day this week for an outside art activity, chalk and bubbles!


Bible Time (One in Christ)
Not everyone found out right away about the empty tomb. Can you imagine the joy that filled their heart to learn that their Savior was alive? This week we will get to hear about the joy that filled them! You can find our story in Luke 24:13-35 and in our handout from One in Christ. Help your child understand the joy and awe we feel when we know that because Jesus is alive, we, too, will have eternal life. We want to share this joy with others, just as the Emmaus disciples ran to tell the others about what they had seen. 

Here are our discovery points for this week:

Law: We can do nothing to save ourselves from our sins; if Jesus had stayed dead, then we would have no hope.

Gospel: Jesus fulfilled God's promises to save His people from sin and death; because Jesus is alive, we, too, will live eternally.

Sanctification: Through the power of the Holy Spirit, in awe and joy, we can share the good news that Jesus is alive.

Song & Passage:
Each week we focus on a song and passage. This week we will look at 2 Timothy 3:14, "Continue in what you have learned." I pray that each of you are able to work with your child at home and remind them of the wonderful we gift we have. Thanks to Jesus, one day heaven will be ours! What a joy it is to learn more about our Savior each week. Our song this week is "My God is so Great"... we will focus on verse 1: 

My God is so great, so strong and so mighty, 
There's nothing my God cannot do.
My God is so great, so strong and so mighty, 
There's nothing my God cannot do.
The mountains are his, the rivers are his, 
the stars are his handiwork, too.
My God is so great, so strong and so mighty, 
There's nothing my God cannot do.

Small Group (High Scope)
Our KDI (Key Developmental Indicator) for the week will be for physical growth and health: fine-motor skills. Children demonstrate dexterity and hand-eye coordination in using their small muscles.

Monday: We will use beads, number cards and pipe-cleaners! Our students will have to count how many beads they are placing on their pipe-cleaner.

Tuesday: Our students will be sorting pom-poms using tweezers. We will have the pom-poms on the carpet and students will have to pick up the pom-pom with the tweezers and put it on the correct table based on the color.

Wednesday: They will be able to create using strings and beads. This is a project that our students love! Many of them try to create a pattern or design to their beads.

Thursday: Our students will be able to use a variety of floor puzzles to work on their fine-motor skills. The board puzzles will also be available if the students have interest. 

Friday: They will be using small connectors to build and explore with their fine-motor skills.

Movement (Spark)
This week is all about review! Our students will spend the week demonstrating their knowledge of a variety of movements. We will continue with our movement songs using the Spark CDs. They will need to demonstrate the movements of different animals (galloping, hopping, etc.) 

Music (Sing and Make Music)
We will be taking this time to practice our spring plays "Chicken Little" and "Ten on the Sled"... remember, we have a dress rehearsal next week with all of our props and costumes! Be sure to continue prepping those items so that they are ready to go.

Sensory Table
They will be able to play with water and foam blocks. Our foam blocks stick together when water is added. They will continue to float and stack while the students explore what they would like to build! Our kids have been very interested in building different creations lately, I look forward to seeing what they make. We will have the sensory table open on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.

Art Projects
Our students will be able to create a thumbprint dandelion project for spring time! They will be able to pick out what color they would like their dandelion to be. We will also work on creating a project for them to explore decoration their first letter of their name. We will provide them with several different items to choose from.

He has Risen!

He is not here, for He has risen.

Another short week, I hope each of you enjoyed extra time with your family and friends to celebrate Jesus death on the cross and His resurrection on Easter Sunday. This week our students will be able to focus on that good news: heaven is ours, because of Him. What a blessing to know that He has a spot waiting for us in heaven some day. God is good.

Bible Time (One in Christ)
Read the Easter story in Matthew 28:1-10 and Luke 24:1-12. At Easter, we celebrate new life! Christ's victory defines our lives as we have new life in Him, now and eternally. It is such a blessing to hear the good news this Easter season. I encourage you to pull out your story bibles you received at the beginning of the school year and read this story with your child. You can also use our handouts from the One in Christ curriculum to help you tell the story.

Here are our discovery points this week:
Law: Without a Savior, we would remain in our sins.

Gospel: Because Jesus rose and is alive, we will have life in heaven.

Sanctification: Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we marvel at what Christ has done for us, and we joyfully tell others the Good News that Jesus overcame sin and death.

Song & Passage:
Each week our students focus on a specific bible passage that relates to our story. This week we will look at Matthew 28:16, "He is not here, for He has risen" What an amazing reminder of God's love for us. Because of His sacrifice, we are able to have the reassurance of eternal life with Him. Our song this week will be "He Rose, He Rose" once again. However, our students will also learn the second verse:

He rose, He rose, He rose from the dead
He rose, He rose, He rose from the dead
He rose, He rose, He rose from the dead, Allelluia, Allelluia!

An angel came from heaven and rolled the stone away
An angel came from heaven and rolled the stone away
An angel came from heaven and rolled the stone away, Alelluia, Alleluia!

Small Group (HighScope) 
Our KDI (Key Developmental Indicator) for the week will be art. I want the students to have time to explore the different elements presented to them and create their own piece of art. I love seeing what they create when they are given the free time to explore.

Monday: No School, Happy Easter!
Tuesday: Painting with yarn. Students will use blue and black paint on a yellow piece of paper to create their piece of art! Many students decided that their piece of art was a maze or road, I love their creativity!
Wednesday: Using watercolors. Students will have control over what kind of creation they would like to make. I will give them some ideas (such as a sunset or favorite animal) but I am hoping that they come up with their own idea!
Thursday: Creating the Easter Tomb using precut items, watercolors and glue!
Friday: *weather permitting* we will take cookie sheets, rubberbands, paint and paper outside to create a masterpiece! It will create a wonderful mess. I look forward to the children deciding what their picture resembles. 

Movement (Spark)
This week, our students will be moving past tossing underhand with beanbags and balls and move into reviewing a variety of movements they have focused on throughout the year. We will review galloping, skipping, hopping, and side sliding! We will also let the students choose their favorite movement songs this week to help them review their skills. The spark curriculum has wonderful instruction songs for the students to focus on their movements.

Music (Sing and Make Music)
We will continue using our sing along books. Our students will also review the same song that they are learning in bible time, "He Rose, He Rose." We will start working on our play practice during "music time" to help our students start to familiarize themselves with each of the stories. So far we have started coming up with our actions while reading the stories... they are doing a great job! 

Sensory Table
We will have water, soap, dishes and scrubbing brushes for our students this week. They will be able freely play in the tub throughout the week. We typically have the sensory table open on Wednesday and Friday. We might have shaving cream, animals and dinosaurs on the table for Friday afternoon. The kids LOVE playing in shaving cream and it even helps us clean a bit!

Spring Concert
We will begin practicing this week for our spring concert. I would like all props to be at school by Friday, April 26th so that we can begin practicing with them next week. We will hopefully have a full dress rehearsal (costumes and props) the second week of May.

Last week, we were able to make our own ice cream :)
It was delicious and a ton of fun! Enjoy some photos...

He Rose, He Rose!

Jesus Died and Rose Again

We will have a short week this week to encourage families celebrate the coming of Easter. During the week, our students will hear about Jesus suffering and dying on the cross. Next week, we will celebrate that our Savior has risen from the dead! What a wonderful blessing to have a God who sent His son to forgive our sins. 

Bible Time (One in Christ)
Our story this week is from Luke 23:26-56, reading this can show you God's great love for you. Because Jesus died and rose again, He has conquered sin and death. He gives His victory to us! He promises forgiveness and eternal life in heaven. Remember, this lesson is about good news! Jesus did not stay dead; He is alive--for us! Despite the cruel suffering that took place as Jesus was led to the cross, He did it out of love for each of us. Because of this, we get to see heaven one day. 

Here are the discovery points for this week:
Law: Because we are sinners, we deserve to be punished.

Gospel: Jesus died on the cross to save us from the punishment of our sins.

Sanctification: Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can share with others the peace we have, knowing our sins are forgiven and our guilt is removed.

Song & Passage
Every week we focus on a new song and passage during bible time. This week, we will be singing Easter songs! Our main focus will be "He Rose, He Rose" with actions. Our passage this week is from 1 Thessalonians 4:14, "We believe that Jesus died and rose again." I encourage you to read through the story and passage with your child. It is a great way for them to hear our bible story from you and review the song and passage with you too! 

Small Group (HighScope)
Our KDI (Key Developmental Indicator) for this week is: Patterns

Monday- Students will be using counting bears to create patterns. I will have pattern cards that the students can follow. If students are up for a challenge, they can create a pattern on their own without the cards.

Tuesday- They will create a thumb print pattern using stamp pads. They will be able to create their own AB pattern or ABBA pattern.

Wednesday- We will be using legos to create a tower pattern. The students will be working on this without pattern cards.

Thursday- We will be skipping our regular small group plans to create an art project for the windows to celebrate Easter.

Friday- No School

Movement (Spark)
Our students will be reviewing their tossing this week. They will be doing underhand tossing with beanbags and small balls. We will work on getting them to toss with a partner. We will be letting students choose what they would like to use when they toss: a beanbag or a ball. 

If they want a challenge, Students will back up further and further from their partner while continuing to toss underhand.

Music (Sing and Make Music)
They will continue working with sing along stories. They will look at "There's a Hole in My Bucket" and "Baa Baa Black Sheep"... if there is more time and the students seem as interested in sing along books as they were last week, we will add in "Old MacDonald Had a Farm"

Sensory Table
Our students will be able to explore in dirt using various tools, jars, flowers and more! The students loved it so much last week we decided to do it for another round. 

Art
This week our students will be able to create a window creation for Easter. We will work on making "stain glass" crosses using contact paper, tissue squares and markers! They will be able to design their own crosses to be hung up on display. 

If we have time this week, our students will be able to create ice cream in a bag. If we do not have time, we will try to do this science experiment next week! With all the sunshine, we thought they might enjoy having a special treat. 

Hosanna in the Highest!

God Loves Me Dearly

Our students did such a great job singing in church yesterday! Thank you to all who could attend. I'm so proud of the kids. As we start a new week, I hope that each of your children are able to learn and grow in a new way. We start our parent/teacher conferences and I can't wait to show you how much has changed since August!

Bible Time (One in Christ Curriculum)
Our story is about Jesus riding into Jerusalem. You can find our story in Matthew 21:1-11, hear how people welcomed Jesus as a king. The problem was that they wanted a king on earth, but Jesus ir a heavenly King. As you talk about our Bible story at home, lead your children in worship and show your love for our Savior. Show your chldren the joy and delight you have in your daily walk with our Lord and King! 

Here are the discovery points for our lesson this week:
Law: Sometimes we don't appreciate how great Jesus is.

Gospel: Jesus, our King of kings, the Lord of heaven and earth, saved us from our enemies--sin, death and the devil.

Sanctification: Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we joyfully worship Jesus, our Savior and King. 

Song & Passage
Every week, we focus on a new song and bible passge. This week the students will be learning "God Loves Me Dearly"... this is a fun song that reminds the children of God's love for each of us.

Our passage this week is from Matthew 21:9, "Hosanna in the highest!" throughout the week we will be working on this passage. The goal is to have the students be able to recite the passage by themselves on Friday. 

Small Group (HighScope Curriculum)
Our KDI (Key Developmental Indicator) for this week is: Fine Motor

Monday: Students will get to spell out their name by placing stickers on the lines of the letters! Stickers are a great way to practice fine motor.

Tuesday: They will be sorting foam beads by color using tweezers.

Wednesday: Our students will be using lacing cards and placing straws into small holes of a container to practice their fine motor skills.

Thursday: They will work on writing their names independently using a pencil. (we will have our students "sign in" by writing their name this whole week, so this will be a little way of seeing which students can write their knows alone and which students still need guidance)

Friday: Students are using beads and string to create a pattern.

Movement Time (Spark Curriculum)
For movement time, our students will be reviewing their under hand tossing (with themselves, a partner and a target) throughout the week we will add challenges for the students such as: moving farther away from one another/the target and switching from bean bags to small balls.

The students will need to problem solve and see what they will need to do differently when switching from a bean bag to a ball. 

Music Time (Sign and Make Music Curriculum)
During music this week, our students will be reviewing keeping a tempo while reading sing along books. They will be using: "5 Little Monkeys" and "5 Green and Speckled Frogs" as their sing along stories. 

The students will be using their hands to tap the tempo of the story on their legs. They will have to follow the reading/singing tempo of our teacher to see if they can get her to speed up or slow down using their tapping.

Sensory Table
This week, we will be making a spring tub! Students will be able to play with beans, pots, fake plants, flowers, and bugs. They will be able to explore the world around them through the items in our tub. We may allow the students to collect items from outside (weather permitting) to help fill our tub with spring items!

Art
Check out our art in the hallway! Our students created "Panda Bear, Panda Bear, what do you see?" by Eric Carle. They were able to spell out parts of the story and create the animals. This week, our students will be create a stamping project of a train as well as a finger print pineapple! 

Last week...
We were able to have the Alaska Zoo visit with a Ball Python! WHAT FUN :) 
The kids loved being able to learn more about this reptile, touch it and see what their skin looks like when they shed! Thanks Alaska Zoo.. 

I am Jesus Little Lamb

Today we start a new week! It is hard to believe that we only have two more months of preschool before summer vacation. I am so proud of our students and how much they have grown this year. I know they will be well prepared for the following school year. 

In our blog, I will do my best to share our lessons each week as well as photos of our students. If you have any questions or comments, please let me know! 

Bible Time (One in Christ Curriculum)
This week we will hear about Paul teaching Timothy. You can find our bible story in 2 Timothy 1:1-5, 3:14-17. As with Timothy long ago, God gives us a family and friends who love us and share the story of Jesus' love with us. What a gift that we can share God's Word with others. Pray for each other every night and every day.

Here are the discovery points for our lesson this week:
Law- On our own, we would never know God or love Him.

Gospel- God uses parents and teachers to teach us about Jesus, our Savior, who forgives our sins and makes us God's own children.

Sanctification- Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can grow up as God's children, learning more about Him and following Jesus in how we live.

Song & Passage
Each week we focus on a new song and passage during bible time. This week we will continue learning "I am Jesus Little Lamb" (verse 1) and "He's Still Working On Me" which they will sing in church on Sunday, April 7th. 

Our Passage this week is from 2 Timothy 1:3, "I remember you... in my prayers night and day" throughout the week we work on this passage and on Friday, the students can try saying the passage on their own!

Small Group (HighScope Curriculum)
This week our KDI (Key Developmental Indicator) is: Numbers.

Monday: Students will use a muffin tin with various numbers on the bottom. They will need to use tweezers to pick up foam shapes and place the proper amount in each container.

Tuesday: They will be tracing different numbers using paint and Q tips. 

Wednesday: Our students will be working on a number hunt in the classroom. As students find numbers, they will need to place them in the correct spot on our number line that has been created on the floor.

Thursday: Students will be tracing numbers and writing numbers on their own using their fine motor skills. 

Friday: Each student will be given a different number card. Based on the number card, students will create a tower with that amount of blocks. 

Movement Time (SPARK Curriculum)
During movement time this week, students will continue working on tossing with beanbags. They have worked on self tossing, target tossing and this week they will work on underhand tossing with a partner. 

As the week continues, students will move farther and farther away from one another to help them add an extra challenge to their lesson. 

Music Time (Sing and Make Music Curriculum)
This week, our students will take a look at sing along stories. Specifically, they will look at "Peanut Butter and Jelly"... They will also review our songs for singing in church on Sunday. We will be practicing in the church each day. I can't wait for you to hear them! They are doing such a great job.

Sensory Table
Our students helped collect rocks this past week from outside. They helped us wash the rocks and now this week they will help us create an underwater sensory tub with animals, rocks, boats and more! I'm excited to see what they choose to create in the sensory tub 
when given the proper supplies.

Art 
The students will be able to create art projects throughout the week. We will be creating a spring flower project. Hopefully we continue to have wonderful weather and the students will be able to create some projects outside using chalk.

My God is SO great!

WELCOME!
We are starting our blog posts once again! Faith Lutheran Preschool would like to share our lessons, activities and students with you each week. We are so grateful that you have joined us to read our blog. Enjoy!

Bible Time (using One in Christ as our curriculum): 
Our lesson this week is about "The Man from Africa"
Read about the man from Africa using your handout from class or in Acts 8:26-40. This week, we are working to help our students celebrate God's grace in their lives and the joy of knowing Jesus, and encourage them to share the Good News with others. 

Here are our 'Discovery Points' this week during bible time... 
Law: Sometimes, we don't listen to or understand God's Word. 
Gospel: Through God's Word, the Holy Spirit works faith in our hearts so we will believe in Jesus, our Savior. 
Sanctification: Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can share the love of Jesus with others.

Acts 8:12, "He preached good news about... Jesus Christ."

Small Group (using the High Scope Curriculum):
Our lessons this week will be focusing on our KDI (Key Developmental Indicator) Shapes.

Monday: We will be using shape cards and little legos to create a variety of shapes (circles, squares, rectangles, triangles, and more!)
Tuesday: We will be using shape cards and our geoboards (with rubberbands) to create a variety of shapes. Students will also have the opportunity to explore creating pictures with our pattern blocks.
Wednesday: The students will be "block printing" using various wooden blocks and paint to create a picture! 
Thursday: Students will use shape cards as their guide while they work to create various shapes using PlayDough.
Friday: They will create shapes and structures using toothpicks and mini marshmallows. 

Music Time (using Sing and Music curriculum):
This week the students will be working on "I am Jesus Little Lamb" which will be sung in church as a class during April. They will also focus on singing high and singing low.

Movement Time (using the SPARK curriculum):
As a warm up, students will using movement songs (provided by the SPARK curriculum) and work on stretching their muscles before we begin the lesson.

The students have been working on self tossing with beanbags last week and have now added a target in the movement room. The students will be using their "homes" as a target while they work on tossing underhand.

Sensory Table:
The students use the sensory table 2-3 times per week. This week, the students will be able to use their "great barrier reef" from our Australia project to enjoy some time with some sea creatures, urchins and more!

God Bless Your Week!