Good Afternoon.

“Kids don’t remember what you try and teach them. They remember what you are.” ~Jim Henson

Our friends enjoyed utilizing their fine motor skill this morning in a couple different ways. Puzzles and coloring in journal binders were at the top of the list.

Some of our friends are really starting to branch out, and manipulate the more difficult foam puzzles. We love to watch the children explore with new activities and get out of their comfort zone a bit.

Our cognitive skills are being put to the test with these foam puzzles and it seems as if though that is just fine and dandy with our little ones, as they all did a GREAT job mastering these puzzles today!

Jack decided it would be a great idea to place all six of the colorful big blocks into a certain pattern of his choice and drive the cars and trains on the smooth and bumpy sections of the blocks, as well as on the floor. Great minds at work  

Whole grain Kix and banana.

Lunch: Farm fresh scrambled eggs, whole wheat buttered toast, carrots, with watermelon and banana.

Snack: Pretzels and mozzarella string cheese.

Wee Sprouts: Carrots.

Have a wonderful evening.

Marty

LINK TO PICTURES: https://1drv.ms/f/s!AtTCDmdhjIuljcUePvVoLjEQTj6V3w

Good Afternoon!

Enjoy the pictures from our day!

Breakfast– Whole grain oatmeal with honey and fresh watermelon.

Lunch– Scrambled eggs with whole wheat tortilla, fresh watermelon/banana, and fresh snap peas/cucumber.

PM snack– Air popped popcorn with butter and fresh apples.

Wee Sprout– Fresh cherry tomatoes/snap peas.

Have a great night!

-Mindy

Link to pictures: WF 3/13

Good Afternoon!

After reading a story, members of K/PREK1 looked at the pictures that were on the chalkboard: a red square, a basketball, carrots, and a person riding a bike. We identified each picture before moving on. Each friend came up to the board and was given a picture. They had to determine which category it went into. Penny was given the soccer ball and she quickly came to the conclusion that it belonged in the group with the basketball. Once we categorized each picture, we talked about why we put the pictures into the groupings that we did. Together, we came up with descriptions that summarized each group.

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

In PREK2, a book was read that focused on bugs and insects. There are a few specific characteristics that insects have: they must have six legs and three body parts which helped friends determine which group each went into.

The morning provocation revolved around sorting gems by color. This quickly shifted as Anna and Sophia wanted to place the gems on the perimeter of the wooden tray. After a little while, Anna announced, “I’m going to try and make my letters!”. She used the gems to make an A and an E!

What a beautiful morning! The sun glistened on our face as we headed outside.

As Anna shared with a teacher, “I’m just living my life”.—being outdoors makes us feel free!

Breakfast– Kix and banana.

Lunch– Hummus on whole wheat flatbread, fresh kiwi, and fresh cherry tomatoes/snap peas.

PM snack– Whole wheat bagel with cream cheese and block cheese.

Wee Sprouts– Fresh cherry tomatoes/snap peas.

Have a lovely night!

-Mindy

Link to pictures: WF 3/12

Happy Tuesday!

“Education is not filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire.” ~ William Butler Yeats

Even with the small amount of friends in the classroom today, we had a fun and busy day!

We decorated shamrocks to hang in the classroom and we were finally able to go outside in the morning as well as the afternoon. What a fabulous day…. we all LOVED being outdoors soaking up the sunshine and enjoying our play!

Breakfast: Whole grain Cheerios and Apples.

Lunch: Whole wheat/grain flatbread with hummus, corn, and Kiwi.

Snack: Whole wheat/grain English muffins with peanut butter.

Have a great night!

Marty

LINK TO PICTURES: https://1drv.ms/f/s!AtTCDmdhjIuljcQSp_LBqZtt3sesyw

Happy Monday!

After reading, ‘Small Pig’ in K/PREK1, we worked together to complete the chalkboard activity. First, we discussed what the word ‘opposite’ means. As we talked it through, a friend said, “So, it’s something totally different?!”

This lead into friends coming up to the board and finding the opposite of an item. For example, the first picture was a picture of a snail and the word ‘slow’. We talked about what ‘slow’ meant and what the opposite of ‘slow’ could be. Anna came up to the board and shared that the opposite of ‘slow’ would be ‘fast’ so she found a picture of something that was fast (bus). Towards the end, we were picking up the ‘opposite’ concept quickly!

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

In PREK2, children got the opportunity to come up to the board and choose the object that doesn’t belong in the group. In the first group, the square stood out because the rest were triangles. Each friend was able to take a marker and circle the one item that didn’t belong.

Our fine motor skills are engaged throughout the day. At the art table, children took beads and carefully put them onto a wooden stick that was held in place by playdough. When the wooden stick was full of beads, children took the beads off one by one which requires quite a bit of focus!

We LOVE to see children in the science area, looking at various non fiction stories. This morning, Penny, Anna, and Maxwell looked at various dinosaur books that had pictures and words. One of our favorite non fiction topics is animals: small, big, or extinct. We do not discriminant!

Below I posted a few articles that talk about how to introduce non fiction stories to your child because they are so important, just like fiction, fairytales, and poetry!

https://www.nobellearning.com/links-to-parents-blog/introducing-preschooler-non-fiction/

https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/early-literacy-how-introduce-nonfiction-young-children/

Breakfast– Whole wheat bagel with peanut butter and fresh apples/oranges.

Lunch– Whole wheat noodles with butter and shredded beef, fresh oranges/banana, and fresh carrots.

PM snack– Whole milk yogurt with raisins.

Wee Sprout– Fresh carrots.

Have a terrific evening.

-Mindy

Link to pictures: WF 3/11

Good Afternoon!

Enjoy a few of the pictures from our day!

Breakfast: Whole grain wheat toast with peanut butter and fresh oranges.

Lunch: Whole grain wheat pasta with shredded beef, peas and fresh apples.

Afternoon Snack:  Whole milk yogurt with graham crackers and fresh apples.

Wee Sprouts:  Corn.

Have a great night!

Rebekah

Link to pictures:  https://1drv.ms/f/s!AtTCDmdhjIuljcN7iKHNL8aXOC6nag

Happy Friday!

*We have several birthdays coming up this spring and summer so just a friendly reminder that any food brought into the Wee Friends environment needs to be tree nut free. Thank you!

_________________________________________________________________

We read ‘What Would You Do With A Tail Like This?’ during K/PREK1. Friends quickly shared that we were reading a non-fiction story. Before we started reading, I posed the question, “If you had a tail, what would you use it for?”. I received several answer including:

• “I would use it to swat strangers away that I don’t know.”
• “I would use my tail to help me climb a tree and hang from it’s branches.”
• “I would use it to hit bugs!”

On each page of the story, a different body part was identified from several different animals. For instance, one page was solely dedicated to animals ears. We learned about different animals and what they use their ears for!

K.W.5: With support, build understanding of a topic using various sources. (Identify relevant pictures, charts, grade- appropriate texts, personal experiences, or people as sources)

In PREK2, children used gems to create their own pattern which is much more challenging than simply completing a pattern! The patterns that were created followed the ABAB pattern.

“Most great learning happens in groups. Collaboration is the stuff of growth.”

-Sir Ken Robinson Ph. D.

Breakfast– Rice cakes with peanut butter and fresh watermelon.

Lunch– Melted shredded cheese on whole wheat tortillas, fresh oranges/apple/banana, and fresh carrots.

PM snack– Homemade apple chips and block cheese.

Wee Sprout– Fresh carrots.

Have a terrific weekend!

-Mindy

Link to pictures: WF 3/8

Good Afternoon!

We celebrated Emma’s birthday today. She turned FOUR! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, EMMA!

An experiment was conducted at the art table this morning using several different manipulatives. Using a black caldron in a bin of water, children put one item in at a time and counted how many items had to be in the caldron for the caldron to sink. After the caldron sunk, children wrote down how many items it took!

In Musik Garten this morning, we talked about a specific bird: a robin! We also discussed bird nests and what a bird would use to make one. When we went outside before lunch, a group of children took loose parts in the backyard and made a birds nest!

Breakfast– Quaker Oatmeal Squares with fresh organic cantaloupe.

Lunch– Brown rice with shredded chicken and cheese, fresh pears/oranges, and fresh pepper/cucumber.

PM snack– Emma’s birthday treat: pumpkin muffins with peanuts.

Wee Sprout– Fresh cucumber and pepper.

Have a great evening!

-Mindy

Link to pictures: WF 3/7

Good Afternoon All.

“Children are like wet cement. Whatever falls on them makes an impression.” ~Dr. Hiam Ginnot

PLEASE NOTE: TOMORROW WILL BE A PAJAMA DAY FOR ALL OF THOSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO WEAR THEM.

Today we celebrated a special friend’s second birthday! We all sang Happy Birthday and had yummy homemade muffins for our afternoon snack.

A new and fun activity was introduced into the classroom and our friends are having a blast with it! Tools, tools and more tools. We have hammers, wrenches, and drills. Some friends wanted to separate the tools, some wanted to “fix” certain things around the classroom, and some just ponded with the hammers. Whatever the pleasure, we all had a  GREAT time!

Our friendly fish were hungry this morning!

Daniel and his friend Jack asked if they could help feed them. Teachers love to have our little ones help with the everyday classroom chores, and our friends ALWAYS love to help!

When a child helps their teacher and/or parents, they feel important and needed. They also will learn to respect the work we do and that it needs to be done. Most of all… they find it just plain FUN.  

Breakfast: Whole grain cheerios with Apples.

Lunch: Whole grain brown rice with shredded chicken, cucumbers, and banana.

Snack: Whole wheat carrot muffins with cream cheese. (A special Birthday treat)

Wee Sprouts: Corn.

Have a fantastic evening.

Marty

LINK TO PICTURES: https://1drv.ms/f/s!AtTCDmdhjIuljcFu0-JLpnSnHphtPw

Good Afternoon All.

“It takes a big heart to shape a little mind.” ~pintrest.com

We’re Going on a Bear Hunt illustrated by Helen Oxenbury is still a HUGE part of our daily routine. Our friends “run away” from the bear almost every day and then ask a teacher to read the story where we then again act out the motions of the book. It is simply a great and very interactive story that we ALL enjoy! Just look at those feet running as fast as they can to get away from that bear!!  

After we chased that bear away we decided to engage in some fine motor activities. Jack asked to color in his journal binder as well as help with writing his name.  Friends had a wonderful time coloring and talking to teachers about the colors they were coloring with.

Breakfast: Whole grain Kix and apples.

Lunch: Scrambled eggs, whole wheat/grain English muffins with peanut butter, cucumbers and applesauce.

Snack: Pretzels and Mozzarella string cheese.

Wee Sprouts: Carrots.

Have a nice night!

Marty

LINK TO PICTURES: https://1drv.ms/f/s!AtTCDmdhjIuljcETLsg5BpQzvpDdT