This morning, Kai, Macy and Annie continued studying the pictures/scenes in Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. As they read they identified “there’s Simon!” (the raven) or “there’s me!” (Kai, the prince). Annie found herself as Snow White and Macy recognized herself as Kai’s horse.

Yesterday, many friends created beadwork. This interest continued this morning as friends gathered to create crowns, bracelets and necklaces.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After more conversation about the characteristics of the seven dwarves, Nate found a dwarves cap and Heigh-Ho’d around the classroom!

 

 

 

 

 

 

A few friends enjoyed an apple tree counting game. They rolled the dice and moved a poker chip from apple to apple ’til they made it to the apple in the center of the tree. They practiced counting dots on the dice and number recognition on the apples. They counted out loud as they moved around the board.

 There were lots of structures being created in the truck room this morning. Owen built a castle out of Magna-Tiles. Simon and Alma worked collaboratively to make a wrecking ship. Stephen made a sledge hammer out of Trios.

 

Melinda led each Wee Friend through the multiple-direction process of making silly putty. Glue, water, food coloring, liquid starch, Borax and alot of elbow grease!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Our older friends assisted our younger friends. They measured, counted tablespoons, poured, scooped, stirred and squished, identified colors to dye their putty, pulled apart and asked lots of questions!

 

Melinda read The Apple Doll by Elisa Kleven. We demonstrated how to make an apple doll by peeling the skin, cutting out eyes and a mouth, sticking it onto a stick and dressing it. We extended this exercise into another science experiment by soaking the apple head (just like Susanna in the story) in a lemon bath to see if it will preserve the doll. We’ll take it out Monday and slowly dry it. Next week each Wee Friend will have a chance to make their own apple headed doll.

 We also read The True Tale of Johnny Appleseed by Margaret Hodges. We continued our conversation about the man, noticing many interesting things about Johnny from the fabulous illustrations. We got to talking about apple seeds and learned that they are poisonous! We collected the seeds from the apples we served at lunch and studied them. We learned that if you accidently eat one or two seeds from one or two apples it’s not a big deal. If you eat a whole backpack full then you would get very sick. Annie lent us her backpack for a visual demonstration of how many seeds it would take to get really sick. We imagined that Johnny Appleseed probably had a sack that full of seeds. But he didn’t eat them! 🙂

For lunch we served pita pocket pizzas, broccoli and apples!

It was another morning filled with imaginative play surrounding the fairy tale, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.

Melinda asked the question, “What is the difference between a castle and a palace?” We researched the details (Simon nailed it without research!) and explored what each may look like. We also discussed who lives in a castle and who lives in a palace.

 

 

Kai was particularly interested in the horses so he chose a drawing technique book and studied how to draw a horse. The message board castle drawing had two guards and a bird. Kai assigned Macy and Stephen as guards and Simon as the Black Raven and wrote their names above their picture.

 

 

Our princesses carry their imaginative princess play to a fine motor experience: Polly Pocket like princess dolls. The girls work very diligently to put the rubbery/slippery dresses on the doll and then take them off again. It’s an amazing workout for those small finger muscles!

 

 

After spending time dancing with Arleigh, Umi and Alma moved to hopscotch, built a springboard three blocks high and practiced jumping off! Umi explained that it was part of their house.

 

 

 

Almost daily, Nate gravitates to the truck room to build something. Today he built a vertical Magna-Tile tower independently.

 

 

 

On her accordian, Melinda taught a small group of friends where Middle C is located and what it sounds like. They sang “Heigh-Ho” and several other familiar tunes.

 

 

 

 

All of our WF were invited into the reading are to review where housekeeping toys belong. Melinda demonstrated how to properly put away a few of the many small pieces that make up housekeeping.

 

 

 

We have a new parachute! Each friend held onto a handle and we shook it slow/medium/fast; we crawled underneath it; we walked across it; we traveled in a circle with it; we bounced a ball on it….Melinda brought it just in time as we will find ourselves inside more and more as the season turns.

 

For lunch we had long grain rice with beef, bananas/pears and roasted butternut squash.

 

Have a great day!

 

 

Late yesterday afternoon we read Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. We had a lengthy conversation about “What makes a story a Fairy Tale?” We discussed the meanings of the Dwarves’ names. The conversation naturally turned to comparing differences and similarities of Snow White to our previous study of Sleeping Beauty. After hearing the story, a small group jumped up and immediately acted out the scene where the Wicked Queen, as an old woman in disguise, invites SW to eat the apple.

We continued the conversation/acting out this morning, with each friend fully owning the character they chose. Here’s our cast so far:

Snow White – Jane, Annie, Ada, Arleigh, Alexandra, Addi

Prince – Kai

Bad Guy – Stephen

Wicked Queen – Macy

Puppies – Nate, Umi, Alma

Black Raven – Simon

We set out Tami’s apple red Play-Doh and sang “Roll roll roll the dough, in between your hands…roll, roll, roll the dough in between your hands!”. Ada turned her ball into an apple while Alexandra’s ball became a basket. Nate’s roll was a carrot and a hot dog.

For a counting and sorting activity, we made a felt apple tree and stuck red, green and yellow apple stickers to it. Friends took turns dropping green apples into a green felt basket, as well as the red and yellow ones into corresponding colored baskets.

We continued singing The Johnny Appleseed Song, learned about who Johnny Appleseed was and had an apple hunt in the classroom. We learned the meaning of “orchard” and talked about visiting one.

As we move into cold/flu season, we will keep you posted on any illnesses that make their way through our classroom. With severe illnesses (strep, chicken pox, lice etc.) Tami will send out an email as well as post it on our Parent Information bulletin board. Over these past few weeks, there was a flu-like bug that affected three Wee Friends and three teachers, in varying degrees. It involved fever, vomiting and diarrhea. For the past week, there have been no signs of this particular virus persisting. During this season, it is usual that colds will come and go on an ongoing basis. Again, we will make sure you are aware of anything passing through multiple families so that you can watch for symptoms in your own child.

Addi has been spending alot of time playing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” and belting out the lyrics as she plays!

Hope your day is happy!!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

This morning, Jennifer and the gymnastics bus were here! Our older friends go from 9-9:30 and our younger WF go from 9:30-10:00. I will post a reminder on Friday for the following Monday’s schedule so everyone who has enrolled has a chance to participate.

This weekend Tami was hard at work making apple pie Play Doh! When Wee Friends were not on the bus, they spent, literally, the whole morning exploring and creating with the Play Doh. They made everything from huevos grandes y poquenos, apple pies, cherry pies, chocolate cake and Jane made a Sweet Shop. Kai practiced a math concept with a discussion on 1/2’s, 1/3’s and 1/4’s, cutting the Play-Doh accordingly.

On her guitar, Paulina picked out the secular version of “The Johnny Appleseed Song” and we sang along. We invited Wee Friends to practice their courtly bows as Paulina played a musical montage starting with “Lavender Blue” , “Skip to My Lou” (changing the words to “bow to your partner”) and ending with “Shoo Fly Don’t Bother Me!” The Wee Friends princesses, relaxed into a music meditation as Paulina played a tune on her recorder.

Later, some friends chose to make crowns out of pipe cleaners!

Outside a group of friends were wondering why the leaves were on the ground and why they weren’t green anymore. A discussion was had about the changing season and what happens to trees and leaves during this time.

 

 

 

Addi exclaimed “It’s a nice day out today, Mina!”

 

 

 

 

For lunch we served whole wheat pasta and marinara, pineapple and fresh WF tomatoes.

ENJOY YOUR DAY!