Good afternoon!

Two of our friends started off their morning by creating a path for their animals or climbing on the Habi-trail.

We then made our way into the kitchen where we combined our gross motor skills with art. We were each given a tub with a paper taped to the bottom and 6 repurposed food pouch lids dipped in a different colors of paint. We used our hands to pick up the tub and then shake the lids around with our arms. As we shaked the tubs, we watched the colors mix and create patterns on our papers.

We then headed outside to enjoy the much warmer weather. We poured scoops of sand down a chute in the sandbox, rode teeter-totters and walked around with our baby dolls. It seems that a common theme this morning was our younger friends playing with their older friends from the preschool classroom. How sweet!

Breakfast: Whole grain Kix cereal with fresh apple slices.

Lunch: Chicken avocado salad with whole grain wheat flatbread, fresh strawberries and cooked peas.

Afternoon Snack: Whole grain wheat Cinnamon-Raisin bagels with cream cheese and fresh pear slices.

Wee Sprout: Cucumber.

Have a wonderful evening and enjoy the beautiful weather!

WWF Teachers

Link to pictures: 2025-03-18

Good Afternoon.

We continued working with singular and plural nouns in PREK1 group today. Children came to the sign in board where they each had a sentence that was missing a noun. We read the sentence and they had to choose a noun from the pile that completed the sentence. Then, they had to determine which noun to use: the singular noun on one side of the paper or the plural version on the other side of the paper?

K.W.6.1a: Nouns/Pronouns—Writing sentences that include singular and/or plural nouns (e.g. dog/dogs, cat/cats).

We worked on making 10 groups of 10 as we sorted a bowl of treasures this morning at our welcome activity.  We found that we had 10 jars or bowls to sort and 10 different kinds of treasures.  After we sorted and counted we found that there were 10 treasures in each of the 10 groups.  We learned that ten groups of ten make 100 things!  We even tried counting by tens to get to 100.

Yesterday we experimented with rainbow string painting.  Today we got out the materials so a few more friends could try.  As the project got started, we talked about the possibility of making different marks with different types of string.  The project evolved after that as we tried some thick feathery yarn and a ribbon to see what kinds of rainbow marks we could make.  Friends came up with new ways to get the color onto the string, like adding a dab of color on top to soak in.  This kind of exploration allows kids to use their creative problem solving skills to figure out solutions and new ways of doing things.

PREK2: Today at group we read the book  “Alphabet Under Construction”.  After the story we got a word to sort into the “ Z words” or “A words” category. During PREK2 journals Eliza tried writing letters from her name for the first time!

We were able to soak up a ton of outside time this morning! Our kids are always excited for the possibility of taking off their coats which we’ve been able to do a lot of lately!

Breakfast– Toasted oatmeal squares with fresh oranges.

Lunch– Homemade avocado chicken salad on whole wheat bread, fresh pears/strawberries/oranges, and fresh cucumber/broccoli.

PM snack– Whole wheat bagel with cream cheese.

Wee Sprout– Fresh broccoli/pepper/cucumber.

Have a lovely night.

-Wee Friends Teachers

Link to pictures: 2025-03-18

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

This morning we were busy watching the trash truck empty the bins, listening to Miss Tina read teacher books while we sat on the reading steps and working on our self-help skills to put on dress up clothes and shoes.

We engaged in a sensory experience with shaving cream.  We added green watercolor and mixed it in for St Patrick’s Day.  We were busy spreading it to cover our tray, cover our hands and make circles and lines in it on our tray.

We then bundled up and headed outside to play and enjoy some fresh air and sunshine.  We were busy engaging in the sandbox with the dinosaurs, working on our balance skills on the balance beams, filling a bucket with rocks in the rock area, sliding down the slide and riding on the teeter totters independently or with a friend.

Breakfast:  Whole grain wheat bread toast with butter and cinnamon/sugar mixture and fresh mandarin oranges.

Lunch:  Whole grain wheat penne pasta with black beans, fresh cantaloupe slices and cooked broccoli.

Afternoon Snack:  Whole milk yogurt and graham crackers.

Wee Sprout:  Green bell pepper.

Have a marvelous evening!

WWF Teachers

Link to pictures: 2025-03-17

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

We kicked off our week in PREK1 by talking about singular and plural nouns in a developmentally appropriate way! Children read a sentence with two choices for a noun: singular or plural. The sentence read: I have one dog/dogs at home. We used a context clue in the sentence, which was the word one, to help us determine if the noun should be singular or plural.

Later on in PREK1 group, we read a fiction story titled, ‘If I Built A Car’. The authors last name was Van Dusen. We talked about how librarians sort books at the library. We posed the question, “If we wrote a book, where would we find it in the library?”. This started a conversation where children shared their last name which would tell friends where to find their book in the library if they were the author!

K.W.6.1a: Nouns/Pronouns—Writing sentences that include singular and/or plural nouns (e.g. dog/dogs, cat/cats).

K.1.19: Learn and apply knowledge of alphabetical order (first letter) when using a classroom or school library/media center.

Wooden loose parts were made available for open ended play at the circle table for our welcome activity. Children made things ranging from zoo’s to animal homes to animal hideouts. Small animals were also made available which most children used in their pretend play. Activities that offer materials but no set guidelines are a welcomed sight for children as it allows them to use their imagination and take the activity in whichever direction they feel like. We noticed that this particular activity tested children’s persistence, hand-eye coordination, and fine motor skills as they built with various 3-D shapes.

This morning we experimented in the art center with rainbow string painting.  We added a rainbow of dots on our tray, then laid a string in the paint.  We used the string to make rainbow marks on our paper.  We tried straightening and dragging the string across the paper, dragging a loop across and wiping against the paper like a jump rope.  It created different effects as we used the string in different ways.

PREK2: During group today we read the story “Good People Everywhere”. We talked about good things we could do to help at school or at home and made a class list. 

Breakfast– Whole wheat toast with butter and fresh blueberries.

Lunch– Whole wheat pasta with marinara sauce and shredded cheese, fresh cantaloupe/banana, and fresh cucumber/pepper.

PM snack– Whole milk yogurt with granola.

Wee Sprout– Fresh cucumber/pepper.

Have a wonderful night.

-Wee Friends Teachers

Link to pictures: 2025-03-17

Happy Sunny and Warm Friday!

This morning we were busy building with the BounceBlocks.  We made stacks of them for us to stand on while holding onto the bars of the habi-trail.

We then headed into the kitchen to engage with wooden color sorting stacking rings and rainbow colored peg people loose parts on our tray.

Then we headed outside to enjoy another beautiful today.  Cece even enjoyed some time outside with us this morning, playing with her toys on her blanket.  Several friends were riding bikes down the hill, Eleanor was playing with a ball and Charlotte scooped the sand in the sandbox into a container and played peek-a-boo with another friend.

Breakfast:  Whole grain brown rice cakes with cream cheese and bananas.

Lunch:  Black forest ham lunch meat, whole grain wheat flatbread, fresh mango and cucumbers.

Afternoon Snack:  Whole grain wheat Ritz crackers and Mozzarella cheese stick.

Wee Sprout:  Red bell peppers.

Have a great weekend!

WWF Teachers

Link to pictures: 2025-03-14

Happy Friday!

PREK1 friends ended the week by exploring numbers and number words. Each group member found their name on the sign in board and followed the prompt, asking them to find a specific number on the board. In the direction, we identified their number word along with the corresponding number that they circled!

K.NS.2: Write whole numbers from 0 to 20 and recognize number words from 0 to 10.

This morning we set up a sensory loaded imaginative play world based on some requests from our kids to play with the animals we have been using to sort this week.  The kids created pond and forest habitats with water and natural materials.  They were able to use the silk plants and animals they had used in sorting activities to explore imaginative play and building ideas.  As their play evolved, some kids began using the flat rocks and sticks to make bridges that connected the ponds.  This kind of exploratory play lays the foundation for larger ideas down the line filled with a strong sense of creativity, innovation and the confidence to try things.  We can only hope that our kids retain this sense of playfulness with ideas and bring it into the work they do in their adult lives.

Outside there was a lot of interest in the garden.  A few friends asked if they could do some garden clean up, so we got to work.  Slowly, almost everyone in our outdoor area joined in the garden work.  We got out some tools like a hoe, spade and shovel to assist us.  A couple of kids chose to start a “deep weed removal project” working to dig deep rooted weeds out of the garden beds.  I can only wish that I was as passionate about weed removal as these kids are!

Breakfast: Brown rice cakes with cream cheese and fresh cantaloupe.

Lunch: Peanut butter on whole wheat bread, fresh mango/banana/cantaloupe, and fresh carrots/cucumbers/snap peas.

PM Snack: Pretzels and mozzarella cheese stick.

Wee Sprouts: Fresh peppers, snap peas, cucumber, and carrots.

Enjoy the weekend!

~Wee Friends Teachers

Link to pictures: 2025-03-14

Good afternoon!

Our friends were busy with books this morning. We read books independently on the reading steps, or sat in BounceBlocks and plastic blocks to listen to Miss Bekah read teacher books.

We then made our way into the kitchen to engage with pegs and peg boards. Our friends identified the shape of their boards and the colors of the pegs they were using. When friends were done with their board, they would request a new one by telling Miss Tina what shape of the board they would like next.

We then headed outside for another morning full of sunshine. We scooped pea gravel in the rock area, rode bikes down the hill, walked on the balance beam course, engaged in the sandbox and kicked a ball.

Breakfast: Oatmeal squares cereal with fresh mango.

Lunch: Whole grain brown rice with shredded roast beef, cucumber and clementine oranges.

Afternoon Snack: Sunflower seeds and Wheat Thins crackers.

Wee Sprout: Red bell pepper.

Have aa beautiful evening!

WWF Teachers

Link to pictures: 2025-03-13

Good Afternoon!

We practiced sorting based on similarities this morning during PREK1 sign in. Each group member came to the sign in board where they sorted cards onto three mats: land, air, and sea. They had to decipher which mat each card belonged. There were a few that were up for debate: did the butterfly belong on the ‘air’ mat or on the ‘land’ mat? We came to the conclusion that it could be both depending on where the butterfly was: was it flying or could the butterfly have landed on a bush? Love the organic conversations that take place during our activities!

K.RV.2.2: Identify and sort pictures of objects into categories (e.g. colors, shapes, opposites).

This morning we offered a “habitat drawing” activity.  Friends were invited to choose a few animals from the center of the table, then draw habitats for them to live in.  First, they thought about where the animals they picked may live.  The kids drew forests, oceans and ice habitats for their animals, then played with the animals withing the habitat they drew.

We hope you enjoy a few other pictures from our day!

PREK2: During group we read the book “An Earth Worm’s Life”.  Several kids have been finding worms outside this week.  Today there was an active earth worm hunt in the garden, so I decided to read a book about how they live.  This lead to some great questions and a group discussion about them.  Kids asked “Why can’t I see the earth worm’s head?”, “Why do I see worms when it’s raining?” and “Why does an earthworm make an egg case on the outside of it’s body?” (in response to the book).  After the story, we classified animals that live on land and those that live in the water on our board.

Breakfast– Whole grain cheerios with fresh watermelon.

Lunch– Brown rice with shredded pork, fresh watermelon/cantaloupe, and fresh cucumbers/carrots/snap peas.

PM snack– Whole wheat crackers with peanut butter and pumpkin/sunflower seeds.

Wee Sprout– Fresh cucumbers/carrots/snap peas.

Have a wonderful night.

-Wee Friends Teachers

Link to pictures: 2025-03-13

Good Afternoon!

This morning Miss Tina brought out her big rain stick for us to explore.  We all worked on tilting it back and forth for the beads to run from each end to make the sound of the rain.

We then headed into the kitchen to engage with some new sensory balls in the light table.  We enjoyed observing the light through the light and dark blue colors of the balls.  We also felt the spikey texture of them in our hands, moved them to sort them in a light or dark blue pile, and counted them.

We then headed outside to enjoy some fresh air.  We engaged in the rock area carrying our bucket of rocks, using the mulch to scoop up and cook with in the play kitchen, engaged in the sandbox scooping and pouring the sand in a container with a friend and with the dinosaurs and going down the slide and riding on the teeter totter with a friend.

Breakfast:  Oatmeal with cinnamon/sugar mixture and fresh blueberries.

Lunch:  Farm fresh scrambled eggs with shredded mozzarella cheese, multi-grain wheat bread, watermelon slices and cooked green beans.

Afternoon Snack:  Peanut butter on whole grain wheat tortilla and bananas.

Wee Sprout:  Cucumber.

Have a wonderful evening!

WWF Teachers

Link to pictures: 2025-03-12

Good Afternoon!

PREK1 kiddos came to the sign in board where we worked with punctuation marks. We’ve been reading books this week during group that highlight the use all of three punctuation marks. Each group member chose a sentence strip. We read it and looked at the ending punctuation mark. They identified the mark and sorted it into the correct punctuation group! We loved pointing out the punctuation marks we noticed in the book at group today.

K.W.6.2b: Punctuation—Recognizing and naming end punctuation.

This morning we tried sorting plants and animals into categories at our welcome activity.  One side of the table was set up for sorting and the other offered trays for imaginative play.  The kids did well sorting into categories.  The only item they got hung up on was a sea shell.  This one seemed difficult to categorize.  We spent some time looking at pictures of snails and mussels which live inside shells so we could understand what the animal looks like beyond the shell.

There were several projects going on this morning as kids followed their own learning paths.  Hannah worked on making bracelets in the art center.  As she worked, she practiced the things she has been learning about.  She practiced pattern making,  pointing out that she had made a pattern with blue and white beads.  She also worked on early spelling as she searched for letter beads to add names on her bracelets.

Arthur and Ryan started their own project using recycled materials to build a track for cars.  They used tape to put the pieces together creating a track with tunnels and inclines.  The two worked together to carry the large project to the building rug to test it with toy cars.  They were quite pleased with the outcome!  As the partners worked, they practiced collaboration, creative problem solving and critical thinking.  They brought an idea to reality and then tested its functionality.  What an amazing learning experience!

PREK2: During group today, we read a book called “A Slugs Life” and a book called “Snails” from the science area.  During the activity sorting plants and animals this morning, there were some questions about where the sea shell belonged.  After the story, we each drew two cards and categorized them as a plant or an animal.

Breakfast– Overnight oatmeal with cinnamon and fresh blueberries.

Lunch– Farm fresh scrambled eggs with whole wheat tortilla, fresh pears/watermelon, and fresh cucumber/carrots.

 PM snack– Air popped popcorn with butter and raisins.

Wee Sprout– Fresh cucumber/pepper/carrots.

Have a lovely night.

-Wee Friends Teachers

Link to pictures:2025-03-12