WWF, 3/14/2013

Good Afternoon!

**We’re asking all parents if they could donate grocery bags or plastic bags for our diaper bag supply, it’d be greatly appreciated! Smile

Here are a few pictures taken throughout the day.

For breakfast, children had whole wheat bagel with cinnamon and butter along with oranges. Lunch consisted of egg and melted cheese tortilla sandwiches, fresh pineapple and banana along with mixed vegetables.

Have a terrific evening.

-Mindy

001003005

006007009

010012013

015019021

022024026

027030

032029

WF Thursday 3/14

002

Congratulations, Finn, on your ice skating badge!

Kashi and raisins started our day. 005

Macy loaned us her alphabet board for a letter matching lesson. Using a letter puzzle, we chose a letter and found the corresponding one on Macy’s board.

006

007010

013

It is a huge developmental deal when friends find ‘their letter’ or a family member’s letter and all day, through activities and conversations, we foster this literacy hunt! Above, Marina picked out ‘G’ and expressed “Look! I found my grandma’s letter!”

We began working on our afternoon visual schedule.

003

Macy and Jane spent a large portion of their morning at the island studying and working with stickers. Throughout this one on one work we heard accolades: “You’re my best friend!” and negotiations: “I’ll have this one and you can have that one.”

029027

028

Using connector squares, Finn created an anchor for his ship. Behind him, Ben has long since mastered the habitrail climb, up and down!

017

Lisa led an alphabet letter exploration with our sand letter boards and crayons.

018

019021

023

Happy fairy ballerinas working together to prepare a meal.

024

048

Ada is completing her Muppet step by patient step. Her sewing activity captured the attention of other Wee Friends who then chose their own activities using felt, tape, scissors and thread.

026

039054

037038

072071

Elliott and Ben have discovered a mutual love for the habitrail and building things and Elliott is mentoring his new friend in the ways of trucks and construction!

057058

059

060032

Max (and Amy—Thank You!) shared a days of the week/weather/seasons/numbers and clock activity board with us. Leo spotted it on the shelf, pulled it off and began his study, first by flipping the hands of the clock around.

034

055056

We have voracious readers at Wee Friends.

035041

073

066067

068

069

070

077079

Wee Sprouts: Broccoli. Lunch: Tortillas with melted cheese, peas/carrots and bananas. Snack: Yogurt and pretzels.

“Oh yah…..I love my life!”

083

WWF, 3/13/2013

027020065

Happy Wednesday!

The habitrail was a popular place. There were often backups and friends waiting their turn to do an activity! We loved playing with the colorful blocks as well as the habitrail itself. Gross motor is an important part of our daily routine. Whether we spend time during the morning focusing on gross motor or in the afternoon, it works our body and it pushes us to our limit.

001 007009

011104113

Friends find themselves twisting, turning, and squeezing into places that are difficult! Clara enjoyed scooting her body underneath the habitrail. P.K. twisted his legs through the ladder pegs.

107115114

094097107

Friends Clara and P.K. relaxed up in the habtrail this morning. They each put their legs between the metal rods. They talked with one another about what they wanted to play next! Clara suggested baby dolls.

031032

034037

Relaxation time is key during the day. We all love to sit down for a moment and take a breather. For most of the day, we’re go, go, go. Even a good five minute break jumpstarts our battery and we’re good to go again!

023026046

Baby dolls were a fascination today. Friends love to take the baby dolls over to the mirror where they can set up the baby dolls and see them.

042040045

Cheesy smiles were a given today Smile.

054055089

Through stories, our language has taken off. All of our friends are saying new words and the conversations that we’re having with one another is a GREAT thing to witness!

062070076

Clara and Eve went through the motions of “The Wheels on the Bus” again. They love to do the actions while listening to the book being read.

072073074

For breakfast, children had eggs with cheese and banana. AM snack was corn. Lunch consisted of couscous with cheese, squash, and pears. PM snack was rice pudding and cucumbers.

Have a wonderful night.

-Mindy

WWF, 3/12/2013

Good Afternoon!

Zoey and Emma started their Tuesday off with making breakfast! Emma did an excellent job at sharing with Zoey. Emma put an orange in a cup and handed it to a friend!

001004003

All of that cooking must have worn Emma out because she laid down to take a nap with her baby dolls.

007008

Clara invited Emma over to put the babies to sleep. With the help of one another, they wrapped up the babies and rocked them to sleep.

009010

Our friends were very curious of the fish tank today! We loved looking at the different fish swimming around.

013017

016018

022025

Children have been enjoying music where they have to follow directions. We shake our hands down low. Dance as crazy as you want to! That’s a favorite Smile. It’s exciting to see friends listening with their ears to the music and interpreting what they hear.

030034038

043044050

Dancing makes us smile Smile.

047

Eren read his book while sitting quietly.

053054

We held on the bars today to help us with our balance.

066068

Clara put the foam circle at the end of the slide to go underneath.

070072

Breakfast was kix cereal and banana. AM snack was corn. Lunch consisted turkey and melted cheese on whole grain bagel, corn, and pears. PM snack was graham crackers and cheddar cheese.

Have a terrific evening.

-Mindy

073067

WF Tuesday 3/12 Math FAB K.5.1

017

FAB K.5.1-Make direct comparisons of the length, capacity, weight and temperature of objects. Recognize which object is shorter, longer, taller, lighter, heavier, warmer, cooler or holds more.

018

While the swimmers were at the Y, a large group of friends gathered around the table for a math/science experiment. Mel gathered a tray filled with materials that would encourage friends to think about FAB K.5.1. Question #1 “Which is longer?”

023025

Question #2 “Which holds more?” The word ‘capacity’ was introduced and discussed.

026030

Question #3 “Which is heavier?”

037

039041

043046

048050

053

Question #4 “Which keeps your hands warmer?”

056

Then Mel sent the group into the classroom to find 2-3 objects so they could test their capacity.

057

059062

063065

064066

067069

071

At the end of the exploration, Melinda presented one more challenge. With a plastic Crystal Climber (tube shaped!) in hand she asked “How much will this hold?”

074075

073

We continued talking about days of the week by introducing a pillbox and a new song. We studied the letters on the pillbox and what days of the week they represent. To the tune of “Frere Jacques”, we sang:

“Today is Tuesday, today is Tuesday,

All day long, All day long.

Yesterday was Monday, tomorrow will be Wednesday…

Oh what fun, oh what fun!”

005006

012014

016

We hopped and sang to a Days of the Week hopscotch.

076077

078080

082084

085

086091

089

Even ballerinas hop, we encouraged!

087088

093094

And then a few of our friends rested their bodies in a secret hide-away…

095096

097

We welcomed our swimmers back with reports of fantastic swimming and continued our Wee work.

Wee Sprouts: Carrots and broccoli. Breakfast: Raisin Bran and bananas. Lunch: Open faced toasted turkey and cheese on whole wheat bread, peas and apple slices. Snack: Egg salad and whole wheat crackers.

Have a great day.

WWF, 3/11/2013

003018

Happy Monday! Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Our day started out with cooking. Friends headed to the kitchen where they put real life practice to work! Clara enjoyed chicken with some ‘foffee’! Emma shared her food with others.

001005008

004010

Clara then decided to play dress up. Between a cape, bib, and dress she was sure the rounded dress up artist!

011013015

Children gathered to listen to Miss Marty read a story along with the CD that was put on. We listened to the CD and looked with our eyes at the pictures on the page of the book.

019022

021023

For the first time, Eren climbed up the ladder all the way to the top and over! He was so proud of himself that he did it over and over for five minutes! Yay!

026027028

Zoey worked on her gross motor skills by climbing up and down the blocks. She walked a LOT today! Yay Zoey!

029033030

“School bus, school bus is here!” We love looking out the window at the school bus. Clara and Emma also enjoyed watching birds that were out in the front yard today. It’s excellent when our friends look at their surroundings!

041040038

Eren sat down by himself and put the car track together. He said, “vroom” as the cars went down the ramp.

039042

Emma enjoys throwing the big, colorful balls around the room. She played catch with Clara today!

043

“The wheels on the bus go ‘round and ‘round!”

047046

“The people on the bus go bumpity bump!”

048

“The babies on the bus go wah-wah-wah!”

049050

For breakfast, children had whole wheat toast with cinnamon and banana. AM snack was corn. Lunch consisted of melted cheese on pita bread, green beans, and banana. PM snack was rice cakes with cream cheese and raisins.

Have a terrific evening.

-Mindy

WF Monday 3/11 FAB K.5.2

FAB K.5.2 couldn’t have appeared at a more appropriate time: just when we moved out clocks forward an hour.

K.5.2-Understand concepts of time: morning, afternoon, evening, today, yesterday, tomorrow, week, month and year.

001

Sometimes, in the wee hours of the Wee morning, Wee Wee Emma comes over to hang out. This morning she and Leo had a grand time playing in the train loft. They giggled and created and really enjoyed being together.

When the Blue Bus arrived, Miss Jennifer combined our two classes to make a total of 6 kids.

We recognized that Wee time was moving very slowly. So we checked our lesson plans, studied our FABS again and got our clocks tickin…

What exactly do our friends know about time, we wondered. Melinda read The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle and set out…to find out.

006008

Connection #1: “I have that book at home!” expressed Marina.

014

Melinda presented the idea of time in the pattern of days of the week. What happens at Wee Friends on each day that might help friends remember what day it is? (ex: Gymnastics Monday, Swimming Tuesday).

As friends slowly arrived, we settled into our projects.

004009

After gymnastics, Finn wondered if it was possible to paint the entire classroom, from top to bottom, purple. As his work got underway, he problem solved aloud, trying to determine if it could be done.

015017

005

Ben and Leo worked side by side with the pattern blocks. It has become a go-to activity for the duo and today they expanded their work to fill up the number trays.

010

When Lea noticed their math work, she wanted to join in. 011012

018

019021

026027

028

030032

The new pirate ship—the habitrail.

034037

Ada needed tape. We got down our multi colored tape roll and like bees to honey, a table surrounded by Wee Friends appeared. Silent and intense stares at the tape roll. A project got underway.

039

We asked the question: “Can you name three materials on the table?” Friends named the materials and set out to utilize the three named.

040041

042043

044046

047048

049

We couldn’t get outside today, but Wee Friends know how to exercise their bodies, rain, snow or shine.

045

And time marches on…..

Wee Sprouts: Carrot sticks and broccoli. Breakfast: Whole wheat peanut butter toast and pears. Lunch: Melted cheddar cheese on whole grain flatbread, green beans and bananas. Snack: Rice pudding and raisins.

Enjoy your day.

WWF, 3/8/2013

 

Happy Friday!

Also, Happy Birthday to Tami! We Wee Wee’s love you! Smile

Here are a few pictures taken throughout the day!

For breakfast, children had whole wheat toast with soy butter and banana. Lunch consisted of homemade whole grain pizza with mozzarella cheese, banana, and mixed vegetables. PM snack was yogurt and animal crackers.

Have a terrific weekend!

001004

005008

011012014

018022

024025

026035

036037

039046

047049051

060057

061062064

065066

068073

076069

WF Friday 3/8 40

 

038

40 Facts

  • To understand a people, you must live among them for 40 days. ~Arabic proverb
  • “Life begins at forty”.
  • “Forty Winks” means a short sleep.
  • For 40 years of marriage, ruby is the symbolic stone.
  • 40 is the code for direct dial international phone calls to Romania. 
  • The number of spaces in a standard Monopoly game board.
  • The radio program American Top 40.
  • The number of thieves in Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.
  • The customary number of hours in a regular workweek in some Western countries.
  • The number of weeks for an average term of pregnancy.
  • Forty Shades of Green is a visual term for rural Ireland, Johnny Cash popularized it with his 1961 song of the name.
  • 40 days in the desert.

Our Queen Wee turns 40 today so we set out to discuss and discover all things 40.

001

First, Lisa’s tutorial about what it means to be 40 and what to expect when the Queen Wee got to school. This tutorial ended with Ada’s question “Well, will her hair be gray?”

002003

Next, 40 Birthday wishes.

004005

Finn proposed we make special birthday cards and hang them up all over Wee Friends.

006

008009

010011

013014

015017

018019

020021

022

Finn counted 40 beads on the abacus.

024

025027

Elizabeth started counting the shapes she glued to her card and Lisa helped her get to 40.

028029

030

Then we hid out, waiting for Tami to arrive.

031033

034

035037

039041

045

049050

051 

043046

We surprised her with a fresh fruit cake and a 1000 piece puzzle. Here’s the $40million question? Will she work it? Smile

HAPPY 40th BIRTHDAY TAMI!

Wee Sprouts: Sweet peppers and carrots. Breakfast: Kashi and Craisins. Lunch: Cheesy pizza on whole wheat crust, bananas and peas. Snack: Pretzels and Co-Jack cheese.

048