** We sent a child home yesterday with a fever. Today it was confirmed that the child has Strep Throat.**

This morning the art area was buzzing with activity. The letter stencils were available on the table to make crayon rubbings of the different letters. We also were able to draw a picture with markers or paint our own masterpiece at the easel.

Rosemary requested some music this morning so she could dance like a ballerina. Some other friends joined in to show off their dancing skills.

When it was time to go outside, we buried our legs in the sand, looked for bugs and found a roly poly or enjoyed a nice relaxing ride on the teeter totter.

Breakfast: Kashi Blueberry Cluster cereal and raspberries.

Lunch: Black refried beans and cheese on flatbread, peaches/strawberries and peas.

Afternoon Snack: Hard boiled egg and plums.

Wee Sprouts: Green peppers.

Have a great night!

Rebekah

Link to pictures:  https://1drv.ms/f/s!AtTCDmdhjIuliK45RlPX1lMFWM7jGw

Welcome back!

This morning we cooked up a big breakfast in housekeeping…

Played with magnets and then corn at the sensory table…

And spent the rest of our rainy morning playing in the gross motor area!

Breakfast was whole wheat toast with butter and grapes. Lunch consisted of whole wheat pasta with black beans, corn, and grapes. Afternoon snack was graham crackers and string cheese.

Link to photos:https://1drv.ms/f/s!AtTCDmdhjIuliK0hpvYiUrlhAQYvWQ

Have a good night!

Amanda

Good Afternoon!

Today, we welcomed our newest friend Chloe! She fit right in and we’re so happy to welcome Chloe and her parents, Ashley and Brian into the Wee Friends family.

Miss Melinda called several friends over to plant flower seeds into individual pots. We talked about what a flower needs to grow and thrive. A friend shouted out, “Soil, water, and sun!” We added the flower seed to the soil and watered it before putting it in the window sill to get sun.

After having a little over a week off for vacation, children got back into their Wee Friends routine this morning. Various building materials were used to create zoos, bunk beds, and train tracks!

Breakfast– Whole wheat toast with butter and oranges.

Lunch– Whole wheat pasta with red beans and butter, oranges/banana, and peas.

PM snack– Whole milk yogurt with PPC raspberries.

Wee Sprout– Carrots.

Have a lovely night.

-Mindy

Link to pictures: WF 7/10

Please note: Wee Friends will be closed Thursday, June 29th through Friday, July 7th. We’ll reopen Monday, July 10th. Have a wonderful summer vacation!

Breakfast was Kix and oranges. Wee sprout was peas. Lunch consisted of farm fresh eggs, whole wheat bread with butter, peas, and grapes. Afternoon snack was cheese crackers and grapes.

Link to photos: https://1drv.ms/f/s!AtTCDmdhjIuliKxkojY4dEdM2bc6OQ

See you July 10th!

Amanda

Good Afternoon!

Today is Addi’s last day at Wee Friends! She has contributed so much to our classroom within the last year and took on her kindergarten role beautifully. We can’t wait to hear how big kid school is. Make sure you visit!

Our day consisted of:

Stage prep.

Painting our nails (since it was pajama day). The two go hand and hand!

Runway show, full of our summer pajamas and freshly painted nails.

Breakfast– Whole grain oatmeal with honey and pears.

Lunch– Scrambled eggs, whole wheat bread, oranges, and green beans/carrots.

PM snack– Addi’s last day treat: fruit popsicles and monterey jack block cheese.

Wee Sprout– Cherry tomatoes.

Have a wonderful summer vacation!

-Mindy

Link to pictures: WF 6/28

Good Afternoon!

Just a reminder that tomorrow is Pajama Day! Thank you.

In large group, we read a story titled ‘Goldie and the Three Bears’. The story starts off with Goldie explaining why she doesn’t have any friends. She wants someone to love but hasn’t found that person yet.

Once Goldie walks into the house after accidentally getting off at the wrong bus stop, she tries the sandwiches, chairs, and eventually beds. When the bear family walks in, they find her in baby bears bed. It just so happens that baby bear and Goldie become best of friends.

After we read the story, I read off many specific, important events that happened throughout the story. Together, we put them in chronological order and talked about the important characteristics we look for in a good friend.

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This morning we worked at creating our own artwork using a piece of cellophane, markers and labels. Some of the friends used scissors to see how it cuts differently than regular paper. When friends finished their creations, they took them to the light table or window to view the lights reflection through it.

When we went outside children played the game Mr. Fox, Mr. Fox, What Time Is It?  This is a popular game in where they give a number to represent the time, walk that many steps and try to run away from the fox without being tagged.

Outside is also a place for imaginary play. We turned the log house into an ice cream shop and the children used the bushes to hide their bodies as if they were inside a tent.

Breakfast: Kashi Blueberry Clusters and oranges.

Lunch:  Avocado Chicken salad on whole wheat bread, cantaloupe/peaches and cucumbers.

Afternoon Snack:  Whole wheat bagels with cream cheese and peaches.

Wee Sprouts:  Cucumbers.

Have a great night!

Rebekah and Mindy

Link to pictures: https://1drv.ms/f/s!AtTCDmdhjIuliKspSFgQPzhyDD4HbQ

“A day without a friend is like a pot without a single drop of honey left inside.”

-Winnie the Pooh

Breakfast was Whole Grain Cheerios with oranges. Wee sprout was corn. Lunch consisted of chicken and avocado sandwiches, pear, and corn. Afternoon snack was graham crackers and string cheese.

Link to photos: https://1drv.ms/f/s!AtTCDmdhjIuliKpsrEBO_4y1GcrmeA

Have a good night!

Amanda

Our friends had so many opportunities to experiment with a variety of different art materials today. Research shows that art activities develop brain capacity in early childhood. Art engages children’s senses in open-ended play and supports the development of cognitive, social-emotional, and multisensory skills. As children grow, art continues to provide opportunities for brain development, mastery, self-esteem and creativity.

 

Breakfast was whole wheat toast with butter and pears. Wee sprout was peas. Lunch consisted of whole wheat pasta with shredded beef, pears, and peas. Afternoon snack was organic whole milk yogurt and oranges.

Link to photos:  https://1drv.ms/f/s!AtTCDmdhjIuliKl2Hbr1CALK5l01uQ

Have a good night!

Amanda

Good Afternoon!

**We’re planning on having a PJ day on Wednesday. Thanks!

Every day, there are various places that children can go to meet their needs at any given time. No child is forced to do an activity, allowing them to choose what their body needs from moment to moment. This morning, we observed as children made decisions for themselves making sure that they were fulfilling their needs such as a sensory need or a gross motor need. Here are just a few choices that we offer throughout the day.

The reading area allows for a quiet space where children can read stories by themselves, with a group of friends, or with a teacher. It’s a place where friends calm their bodies after gross motor play or provides a space to snuggle up with a stuffed animal if alone time is needed.

The art table is always buzzing with our creative juices as they flow onto paper. It’s mostly a quiet space where children use a wide arrange of art materials to satisfy their creative needs.

The music rug offers us a space to get our body moving whether we’re dancing to the beat of the music or using a variety of instruments to make sounds.

We have many building materials so that our fine motor skills are met. We convert the music rug into a building rug when needed. When we’re building, it’s mostly a quiet activity but our creations can get us excited and talking with friends about what we’re building. Most of the time, it turns into a group activity sharing materials with one another.

Breakfast– Whole wheat bagels with cream cheese and apples.

Lunch– Whole wheat pasta with shredded beef, oranges, and cauliflower/carrots.

PM snack– Whole milk yogurt and plums.

Wee Sprout– Carrots/cauliflower.

Have a wonderful night.

-Mindy

Link to pictures: WF 6/26

**Reminder: Wee Friends will be closed Thursday, June 29th through Friday, July 7th. We’ll reopen Monday, July 10th. Thank you!

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“At the end of the day, the most overwhelming key to a child’s success is the positive involvement of parents.”

-Jane D. Hull

Wee Friends is incredibly lucky to have a healthy and enjoyable working relationship with each set of parents. By working together, we are bettering your child in many areas of their development.

Transitions can be one of those times where we work together, making sure that each child is ready to start or end the day on a positive note. There are a few activities that we implement to achieve this:

Sign in message (drop off)- Each day, there is a different sign in message on the welcome board that allow for you and your child to actively participate in. Most of the time, we gear the welcome message to the current FAB (WF Framework for Academic Balance) for the week. This is a great time for you to have conversations with your child before exiting the building. Plus, it’s a great routine to get into!

The welcome board is set up so that it can accommodate varying levels of writing development. Our older children get into the habit of writing their own name (always good practice) while friends who can’t write their own name quite yet can verbally tell you the letters of their name.

Pick-up- There is always water up on the island and most children enjoy getting a drink of water before leaving for the day. This is a great time to ask about their day. If children are having difficulty explaining what exactly they did, the blog is always a great resource. Sitting together with your child at the end of the night looking at the pictures on the blog may spark a conversation about their day. They always like to see themselves on the computer! Also, when parking spots are taken in front of the house, we welcome parents to park in the church parking lot, giving parents and children that extra three to five minutes of bonding time.

We want to send a huge thank you to our parents. It’s proven that only benefits arise when parents are actively involved. I’ve attached some articles that go deeper into parent involvement and how important it is!

“The frequency of parent-teacher contact and involvement at the early childhood education site is also associated with preschool performance. Parents who maintain direct and regular contact with the early educational setting and experience fewer barriers to involvement have children who demonstrate positive engagement with peers; adults, and learning.”

(Taken from www.hfrp.org/content/download/1181/48685/file/earlychildhood.pdf)

https://www.naeyc.org/content/research-news-family-engagement

http://www.naeyc.org/blogs/understanding-power-parent-involvement

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Here are some pictures from throughout our day.

Breakfast– Rice cakes with no nut butter and pears.

Lunch– Shredded cheese quesadillas, grapes, and cucumber/peppers.

PM snack– A variety of fruit (grapes, oranges, pears, plums) and pretzels.

Wee Sprout– Cucumbers and peppers.

Have a wonderful weekend.

-Mindy

Link to pictures: WF 6/23