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!

This morning we continued the multi-step process of making grape juice! Using the grapes that the Nickerson’s brought in, each friend had a chance to mash ’em up!

We combined all the grapes into a big pot and mashed some more…

 

 

 

 

With Melinda’s help, friends strained the juice from the pulp. She put the grapes on the stove to simmer slowly throughout the morning. We’re hoping to be able to finish the juice for our afternoon snack! F.1.3 Observe and describe properties of objects. F.3.1 Participate in activities using materials with a variety of properties (e.g., color, shape, size, name, type of material). F.3.2 Investigate and talk about the characteristics of matter (e.g., liquids and solids, smooth and rough, bend-not bend).

A small group of friends read The Napping House by Audrey Wood.

The book tells the story of a Granny who goes to sleep in a bed. Over the course of the story, a child, a dog, cat, mouse and other sleeping creatures all join her in the same bed. By the end of the book, there is a mile high pile of sleepers on top of granny! After reading the book, everyone chose a stuffed animal to represent the characters in the book. First we explored balance – how many stuffed animals could we stack before the pile fell? Next, we stacked the animals from largest on the bottom to smallest on the top. We discovered a triangle shape when the last pile was complete and discussed – what makes a triangle? F.4.6 Sort by one attribute (e.g., size, shape, color). F.4.7 Sort a group of objects by more than one way. F.2.1 Identify “first” and “last.” F.2.13 Break apart a whole quantity of something into a set. F.2.14 Combine a whole quantity of something (e.g., pop beads). F.4.7 Sort a group of objects by more than one way.

Next week we will begin an Apple Study. We’ll kick it off with our final (for now!)juicing experience, apples!

Remember us when recycling old glass jars- we are starting a collection for an upcoming activity!

For lunch today, we served peanut butter and honey sandwiches on whole wheat bread, pea pods and pineapple. Have a pleasant weekend!

For the past few days WF/WWF have heard Macy cry out from the WWF playhouse: “Anyone want lemonade?!” Today, Paulina built a sensorial packed lesson around Macy’s intrigue.

With friends gathered around, Paulina laid out several pieces of felt in varying shades of yellow and green. She read El Verde Limon, by Alma Flor Ada. She asked friends to examine a lemon: it’s color, texture, scent and finally, it’s taste! They cut the lemon in half and studied the lemon seeds. After each friend had a chance to taste the lemon, they began the juicing process.

After collecting the juice from 4 lemons, they added water and mixed.

After adding a bit of sugar, it was ready to go!

CHEERS!!!!!!!!!!!!

With the remaining lemon rinds, we invited WF to create art.

Throughout the study, Paulina introduced Spanish words for the names of the colors and fruit being explored. As they juiced, they sang “turning, turning, turning…” The conversation continued after lunch when the older friends journaled about the recipe from this morning.

Other WF News!

 

Our chrysalis hatched this morning!

For lunch today we served melted ham and cheese on whole wheat tortillas, corn on the cob (thank you, Lisa!), pears….and fresh lemonade!

 

Have a great day!