Happy Monday!

We started the day with Miss Jennifer and the gymnastics bus. Today Wee Friends worked on the trapeze bar and the octagonal barrel. On the bar, they practiced pike and “V” swings-they got to swing upside down like bats! On the octagon, they learned a backward walk over. They practiced rockers and at the end of class, they were steam rolled! Don’t forget the first group (older) starts at 9am and the second group (younger) starts at 9:30!

After a week in the new space, Wee Friends are continuing to discover creative ways to use the new classroom. Pictured above is a scene from Sleeping Beauty. We chose the music area to begin our dramatic play and as the story unfolded, each princess found her resting spot while Kai, (always the prince!) utilized the large pillar to hide behind and then, storm the castle to save his princesses.

After gymnastics, Tami led friends in an art exploration. The end result is the magnificent mural hung on the same huge pillar! Using the new wide open length of the classroom, friends used a variety of painting tools and tempera paints, scrolling the fabric out as they created.

From story time to nap time to washing hands time, Wee Friends are making their spectacular new classroom their very own!

Have a terrific day!!

 

 

 

Happy Friday! Miss Melinda and I made it through the week without any catastrophic missing items. We did have lots of little things that have finally turned up as the week progressed. I think the children are now very familiar with the new arrangement of the classroom. Since we wrapped up all our prior in depth studies before the holidays, this week has really been about processing the new set-up. They have enjoyed reuniting with teachers and friends while playing with the everyday quality materials that fills our classroom:) Here are some examples from yesterday afternoon and today.

Friends reading together:

Friends playing in housekeeping.

Friends playing games:

Friends helping maintain the classroom:

Teachers talking with friends as they use manipulatives:

 

 

 

 

 

Friends being active:

Friends painting:

Friends exploring process art:

 

 

 

 

 

Friends building with blocks (really cool things too!):

Friends working on number skills:

 

 

 

 

 

Friends enjoying our outdoor learning environment and a cooperative effort to build a snowman:

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Finally, friends working on fine motor skills with beading:

For breakfast we had Total Whole Grain Cereal and Apples. For lunch we had Whole Wheat Cream Cheese & Cheddar Pizzas, Vegetable Medley (Zuch, Squash, Pea Pods, Carrots & Peppers), and Bananas.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO PARK ACCORDING TO OUR NEW PARKING GUIDELINES. The teachers have been instructed to remind parents and ask them to move if they are not parked on the East side of the street (our side), if they are parked too close or in the alley, if they are parked the wrong direction, or if they are staying inside longer than 10 minutes for pickup. To help with parking the wrong direction, I suggest parents begin to approach WF/WWF by using
Wall Street and leaving us using Hastings Street. I have noticed that most families are arriving from North locations and they use Hastings which has them going the wrong way for parking. But, I also realize its hard to form new habits when the car is on autopilot!

You can use the parking pad on the North side of WF. Short cars can angle park there to fit 2 cars, but be sure to pull all the way forward so that your entire car is out of the alley. Other options for longer pickups is the East WWF alley parking pad or the church lot. We so appreciate your cooperation!

Enjoy your weekend!

Tami

This morning we used the outdoor winter elements to do a study on melting. Miss Melinda and Breania (Marty’s daughter who is helping this week until Laurie returns from Hawaii) led the children on an exploration of how cold water and warm water effects the melting of icicles. They also experimented with how salt and paint effects the icicles. As the children observed and examined the icicles, there was great vocabulary development as they tried different words as we went along: squeeze, slippery, ccld/warm/hot, frozen/melted/solid, salty, colorful and experimenting. After the formal experiment concluded, we put towels on the floor and sensory bins full of snow, icicles, and different temperatures of water for the children to explore.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This morning we are also excited that we have a new “reader” in our midst. Little Ada, at not quite 4 1/2 is able to read! She is now one of our Bob Book readers:) Yeah for Ada!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For breakfast we had whole grain oatmeal & clementines. For lunch we had whole wheat couscous and chicken, lima beans/carrots, and fresh pear slices.

Here are some other shots from our day:

Tami wrapped up two big boxes and Wee Friends spent a long while this morning, snuggling into, jumping out of, stacking and toppling over the boxes.

It was a happy morning with lots of smiles and collaborative play!

Kai and Macy helped Melinda put artwork into each WF’s cubby. They identified the names on the artwork and matched them to the names on the cubby. These are ready to take home today!

Using glittery winter stickers, friends exercised fine motor muscles and concentration as they decorated a paper christmas tree.

Our three youngest boys chose to leave the art table to help fold towels!!

Each friend successfully sequenced between one and four steps: 1) taking the towel out of the basket 2)folding it multiple times 3) stacking it 4) delivering the stack of towels to its basket. After each of his trips, Nate exclaimed:

“We did it!!”

When we have all said goodbye this evening, Tami will return tonight to begin renovating the Wee Friends classroom. She, Charles and a contractor will be working fast and furiously over these next two weeks to break down walls and reconfigure our space providing more visibility throughout the classroom. She has said that when we return in the new year, it will be quite transformed!

On behalf of Tami and the Wee Friends staff, we wish you all a happy holiday and restful vacation. As always, we are grateful for all the ways you support Wee Friends and we thank you for sharing your beautiful children with us!

See you in 2012!!

This morning, Melinda led Wee Friends in the exploration of three different nutcrackers: Simon’s ornamental nutcracker, a hand held nutcracker and a table top nutcracker. First, they examined each nutcracker closely by passing them around for each friend to hold. Using a potato, orange and a hazelnut, they studied which size object fit into which nutcracker. They discovered Simon’s soldier nutcracker had a very smooth surface where the nut is cracked, but the hand held cracker had a rough, almost sharp place to crack open a nut. On the table top cracker, they figured out how to spin a cylinder that would adjust to the size of the nut you placed in it. They discussed what the outer shell is and what the meat of the nut is.

They created a message board asking the question, “Which nut cracker do you like best?”. Each friend used their favorite nutcracker to crack open a hazelnut.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas has been this week’s favorite book. After this morning’s reading of it, a couple friends chose to create a portrait of the Grinch, using the book and our Grinch lovie as models.

There was lots of singing and music making this morning: “Jingle Bells”, “Sunshine on My Shoulders”, and “Puff the Magic Dragon” were among the requests.

We added jingle bells to the light table and friends enjoyed both the reflection of light and the jingling! They have spent many hours this week sorting a variety of translucent materials into plastic mini quiche trays!

For breakfast we served peanut butter and toast with clementines. Lunch was cream cheese sandwiches on whole grain flat bread, mixed veggies and grapes. For snack we will serve animal crackers and apples.

Have a great day!

Our morning was spent creating the most beautiful Christmas tree ornaments! I saw the idea on the blog, playathomemom.com and couldn’t wait to try it with both classrooms!

The children made these “I Spy” ornaments by filling them with assorted items like letters, trees, snowflakes, beads, tinsel, fuzzy balls, ribbon, and sparkly snow. It was neat to watch the different personalities come out as some children quickly filled their ornaments, while others spent up to 45 minutes carefully selecting which items they wanted to use. This activity demanded some real problem solving as many of the objects were larger than the size of the opening in the ornament. It also required patience as the glittery snow went in very slowly. 7.10 Use new vocabulary learned from experiences.F.7.12 Follow two-step spoken directions with prompts.F.7.13 Use trial and error to solve a simple problem.F.1.18 Apply one-to-one correspondence with objectsF.1.22 Name groups of objects.F.3.6 Identify attributes of objects.F.3.7 Give reason of placement of objects.F.5.4 Use any descriptive word or gesture to express amount or size.F.6.15 Use trial and error to solve problems.

THE ORNAMENTS ARE GLASS AND WILL BREAK IF DROPPED OR SQEEZED! So please be careful with them in transport.

We will be sending home a variety of Christmas projects today. Enjoy!

Other pictures from today and yesterday afternoon!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some stories…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yesterday afternoon, wrapping our blocks for our Christmas tree.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had grits and bananas/apples for breakfast. For lunch we had brown rice with roast beef, whole wheat bread, mixed vegetables and pear slices.

Have a great afternoon!

This morning we had tumbling on the blue bus! The children worked on their hand eye coordination with balls and the parachute. They played catch with the beach ball and the small balls. They used the parachute for a popcorn game and tent.

In the spirit of Christmas, we added a few new holiday materials for the children to explore: Christmas cards at the art table, Christmas cards, mail box, and mail carrier items in housekeeping, and a Christmas tree at the light table. Between these new interests and small group stories, the children stayed busy all morning long with these 4 things! We saw super long attention spans as they worked together to deliver mail and to make their own Christmas cards. It was such a nice morning!

(Side note…we would love to have your old Christmas cards for next years art/dramatic play!)

Melinda was the last of WF/WWF teachers to succumb to the stomach bug going through. We wish her a speedy recovery. We have a few other friends still in recover from a bout with it this weekend.

For lunch we had whole wheat pasta with marinara, French green beans/carrots, and my new sneaky fruit combo: avocado/apple pieces with cinnamon. Several of my friends really enjoyed it! For snack we will have pumpkin bread and raisins.

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Weekend!

For breakfast, we served Cheerios and raisins. Lunch was chicken salad, broccoli, fruit salad and corn bread. For snack we will have cottag cheese and fruit.

Enjoy your day!

 

It was a busy morning in Wee Friends Toyland! After another reading of The Nutcracker, we invited friends to choose a favorite character or a favorite toy to act out, and a costume. After everyone had decided and dressed, we acted out one of the favorite scenes where Mary and the Nutcracker walk through the parlor closet into a Toyland. Jane was “Clara” and, with a fistful of WF Toyland dollars, she stepped into the Toyland and chose a toy to buy.

The toy came to life upon purchase and joined the growing gang of Clara’s toys passing through the parlor doors. We played the song “Toyland” and when the music stopped the unclaimed toys would freeze.

After all the toys had a chance to come to life, WF decided it was time to change scenes. Jane led the class in deciding the sword fight between the Mouse King and Nutcracker would be fun. After a short reminder that we don’t usually play ‘swords’ at WF and a discussion on how to ‘fight’ safely with imagined swords, each character chose a partner and the game began as “Toyland” continued to play.

The game morphed into a Toyland music and movement exploration as we tapped, stacked, pointed, tiptoed, and exercised our feet and legs (as our characters!) to Tommy Dorsey’s “Happy Feet”.

After our creative drama experience came to its natural end, friends grabbed markers and crayons and decorated the magical doorway.

Elliott was thrilled when the box was free so he could explore the many different ways to play with it!

Wanting to make sure each friend could pass through the doorway comfortably, we recorded, on the side of the box, “how many squares tall are you?”. Friends stood against the box and we measured their height. They counted how many squares tall they were and we charted it.

Marta has officially joined the WF classroom! She has been eagerly engaged in all the morning activities. Here, she set out a chair for herself to further read The Nutcracker. She read out loud, talking mostly about the Mouse King.

For breakfast, we served corn chex and bananas. Lunch was melted cheese on whole wheat bread, three bean salad with avocado, and raisins. For snack we will serve cottage cheese and mandarin oranges.

Have a terrific day!

 

After further conversation and an illustration study about a one horse, open sleigh, we decided to create our own! We turned a card table upside down, gathered our bells and sang “Jingle Bells” as Melinda accompanied us on her accordian. Friends took turns being the one horse by jumping into the hula hoop tent and neighing/galloping as another friend held the reins.

After our creative music exploration, a large group moved to the art table to make coffee filter snowflakes.

Many chose to hang theirs on our ever ornamental tree!

The light table has been an area of steady interest ever since we added it to our classroom a few weeks ago. Today, Tami set out Crystal Climbers: translucent, multi-colored stacking shapes. Friends made robots, towers, coffee cups and climbing stairs!

From now until we break for the holidays, WF will have the opportunity to create a Counting Christmas Tree Journal. The journal is 10 pages of tree templates on which friends are free to draw and write about whatever they choose. The pages are numbered 1-10 and stickers are added to correspond to the number on the page. We will send these home with your WF on the last day of school.

More moments of Playful Study!

O

Melinda devised a new winter buddy system we are calling Snow Buddies. This morning, each older friend chose a younger friend to assist with putting on/taking off winter gear for outside play. Here’s the roster:

Kai/Nate—Jane/Alexandra—Annie/Arleigh—Macy/Stephen—Ada/Umi—Vivian/Elliott—Simon/Marta—Owen/Finn

Everyone loved helping/being helped and took their jobs very seriously. We actually heard one friend instruct her ‘helpee’: “Don’t go to the teachers anymore for help….only come to me.”!!!!

*We were alerted today that the sibling of a WF has been diagnosed with strep throat.

For breakfast this morning, we served oatmeal and bananas. Lunch was whole grain cous cous with red beans, green beans and fruit salad. Snack was a lightly salted rice cake with peanut butter.

Have a happy day.