Tomorrow (Wednesday 5/7) we will be taking Group A to Prairie Winds Farm: Finn, Elizabeth, Marta, Max, Elliott, Sophia, Sloane, Ellie, Owen and Aislinn. We will be pulling out of our parking lot no later than 9:45am. Please make sure your Wee Friend wear appropriate shoes that can get muddy! Also-layered clothing!

On Friday, this same Group A (older Wee Friends) have been invited to watch Elizabeth perform in the Children’s Dance Workshop performance of Alice in Wonderland at O’Laughlin Auditorium on St. Mary’s Campus. The performance begins at 10:15am. If you give your Wee Friend permission to attend, please sign the group permission slip posted above the cubbies in front. We will be leaving Wee Friends no later than 9:45 Friday morning. Parents are more than welcome to attend the performance! We have room to transport Wee Friends, but if you prefer to transport your child and meet us there, just let us know!

Wee Sprouts: Green peppers. Breakfast: Bagels with cream cheese and peaches. Lunch: Hummus on whole wheat flat bread, spinach salad with French Yogurt dressing and mixed fruit (bananas, grapes and blueberries). Snack: Cottage cheese and strawberries.

Good Afternoon!

Hope everyone had a splendid weekend.

To start off our Monday morning, a ‘new’ toy was brought up from the basement. All of our friends loved taking turns on our new lion friend. It is an awesome new balance toy for our one year olds!

As we headed outside, friends travelled toward the back of the yard. We started smelling wonderful things! Eren figured out that it was the flower bush that was letting off these lovely smells.

Saskia and Nora camped out in the sandbox where they built towers with different pieces of wood. They also used shovels and sand buckets to carry the sand. Their imagination ran wild!

Lucy, Tate, and Maya worked with the blue tubes. They tilt them back and forth while the materials moved within the tube. Our eyes were very focused of where the items were going. Some of the tubes are silent while some make noise.

For breakfast, children had kix and raisins. Lunch consisted of pasta with marinara sauce, banana, and corn. PM snack was cheddar cheese slices and pretzels.

Hope everyone has a great night.

We are planning a farm trip of Wednesday!

 

This morning, the gymnasts worked on eye-hand coordination. They tossed balls individually, together and through hoops.

Inside, we drew a crayon garden while listening to sweet, happy music. Friends sketched fast and frantically. Then, we used black crayon and drew over the happy garden. We switched the music to a dark, rainy track and slowed our stroked down. Then we took the top of a spoon and pressed as hard as we could to rediscover our garden of color. Some friends carved out letters.

 

Hope you’ve carved out some spring today! – Laurie

Wee Sprouts: Carrots. Breakfast: Cheerios and bananas. Lunch: Whole wheat pasta with marinara, corn and oranges. Snack: Havarti cheese and crackers.

Happy Friday!

Even with a few sprinkles falling and a little coldness in the air, we headed outside where friends instantly requested bikes. Our gross motor kicked into high gear!

Nora, Saskia, and Eren scooted all of the teeter totters together and went back and forth in unison.

 

Once they worked up a good sweat, they took a break and headed for the swing.

We got out the red balls and worked on throwing them high up in the air. Friends did a great job at chasing the balls around the yard.

For breakfast, children had whole wheat toast with soy butter and raisins. Lunch consisted of cheese tortillas, mixed vegetables, and apples. PM snack was strawberries and pretzels.

Have a terrific weekend.

 

Externally, it looks the same.  Wee Friends are playing with blocks again (or Magna Tiles, or the same book or the same dolly). It is repetitive. And there are times when, as teachers, we want to steer our friends in a different direction, for variety, for diverse learning experiences. But then we sit down beside the friends working with blocks and we listen. And we realize while the act is indeed repetitive, it also terrifically intentional.

Here’s how:

• It started with a police uniform
• A spark was ignited and a jail cell was created. (collaboration)
• “We’ve used every block to patch up all the cracks in the walls”- Covert geometry
• “I’m so sorry!” A block fell on a friend- empathy and effective problem solving

The same thing happened with Trios (Lego stacking cubes). The Trios again. The fabulous Trios again:

• “This one is pink!” – mathematical patterning
• “Where’s the baby’s room” – complex imaginative play
• Popping the Legos off and on – intensive fine motor practice

 

Repetition. Brains are growing. Confidence is growing. Skill is developing. A great day. I repeat: a great day.

Have a terrific Friday.

 

 

Wee Sprouts: Carrots. Breakfast: Buttered toast and bananas. Lunch: Turkey or ham and cheese on whole wheat, roasted potatoes and orange slices. Snack: Peanuts and raisins.

Happy May Day!

We sang, “Rain, rain go away. Come again another day. We want to stay out and play!”

For breakfast, children had toast with butter and cinnamon along with oranges. Lunch consisted of rice with chicken, mixed vegetables, and apples. PM snack was Monterey Jack cheese and crackers.

Have a great night!

Enjoy your day!

 

Wee Sprouts: Grape tomatoes. Breakfast: Kix and pear slices. Lunch: Brown rice with chicken, mixed veggies and bananas. Snack: Cottage cheese and fresh fruit.

 

Happy Wednesday!

Can you believe it’s the last day of April ALREADY?!

Friends Henri and Tate got together to play with blocks. After blocks were no longer their interest, it was a kind of ‘I’ll roll on you, you roll on me’ type moment .

Our newly one year olds are becoming more observant in their play. By observing their older friends, Maya and Lucy took their play cars and ‘drove’ them around the room. Our older friends are in the amazing roll of setting the example for our littler friends.

We forgot to feed the fish first thing this morning so as a group, we fed the fish! It was so cool to watch the fish take the food into their mouths. Eren and Nora kept saying, “Look, there!” Eren said, “Put more food in there!” That brought up the conversation of over feeding the fish. We talked about how when we eat too much food we often get a belly ache. Since we get a belly ache from over eating, Eren noted that the fish might get belly aches too.

As we headed outside, we took a walk around the yard. We noticed a LOVELY red tulip. A couple kids spoke up and said, “No touch. Just look. Right?”

It was a ‘running around’ type of morning. Friends ran their little hearts out while screaming and making different funny sounds. It’s funny when they amuse themselves let alone the teachers .

Our little Wee Wee’s are really starting to navigate the backyard with purpose and confidence. As their confidence grows, they’ll continue to push themselves.

A couple face shots to end the day!

For breakfast, children had kix and apples. Lunch consisted of chicken salad, whole wheat bread, strawberries/honeydew melon, and a mixture of cucumber and snap peas. PM snack was cheddar cheese slices and graham crackers.

Have a wonderful night!

Love and marriage

Horse and carriage

Bread and butter

Peanut butter and jelly

Ice and boiling hot water

What’s the point of creating an ice village if “The Great (boiling hot) Flood of China” doesn’t come to destroy it?

Both indoors and out, friends spent the morning working with the ice village they created this week. The teachers led discussions on temperatures and fractals. Wee Friends imagined the village and the life that inhabited it.

 

“Hey! This sinks!” – Marta

“As soon as the hot water hits the ice, it gets cold.” – Finn

“It’s the Great Flood of China!” –Finn

“Look how many frozen fractals!”- Aislinn

“Look! The queen is floating on the raft!” – Finn

“Look at this shape!” –Owen

“When the ice melts, it’s going to flood the whole school!” –Elliott

“We would get so tired walking through thick, hard water.” – Finn

“And all those sharks! – Max

“The hole is getting thinner and thinner-we can almost break it into two pieces.”- Elliott

“Elsa won’t have anywhere to stand.” – Eleanor

 

Wee Friends and Exploration

It all goes together.

Wee Sprouts: Carrots. Breakfast: Cereal and pear slices. Lunch: Chicken salad on whole wheat, pea pods/cucumbers and fruit salad. Snack: Yogurt and apple slices.

Good Afternoon!

Here are a few pictures from today!

For breakfast, children had cheerios and oranges. Lunch consisted of tortillas filled with cheese and refried beans, corn, and watermelon/cantaloupe. PM snack was raisins and rice cakes with soy butter.

Have a lovely evening!