Walk to the Woods!

Today the nature small group invited the photography small group on a walk to one of their favorite places: The Forest.

The Forest is a small wooded area on campus, just a short walk from the CDLL. In The Forest, children play in forts they have built, frolic in the snow, and just enjoy being out in nature. The nature small group wanted to invite the photography small group along so they could see the forest and get some ideas of photos they may want to take once it gets warmer outside.

Just before leaving the CDLL, the children gathered together to talk about the walk they were about to embark on. Ms. Weller asked if the photography group had any questions for the nature group, and Au'Maria' asked what kind of nature things there were in The Forest. Ms. Weller then asked the nature group if they wanted to tell the photography group what kinds of things they do in The Forest. The children erupted with different comments.

"We build stuff, what we want to make!"

"We play!"

"We find sticks!"

The children set out on their walk, and after 10 minutes or so, they finally arrived at The Forest. The children in the nature group immediately began their normal play for that setting, while the children in the photography group walk around, exploring and getting a feel for this new space.

Some of the children in the nature group started showing around the children from the photography group.

"Look at our fort!" exclaimed Sophie.

Isaiah looked around while he was in The Forest and said, "We're lost!"

Then the group migrated to a snow hill, where they climbed and jumped and slid until it was time to walk back to the school. Overall it was a good time had by all, and a great end to the week.

Enjoy your spring break!

-Ms. Hill

Teaching Strategies Objectives for Development and Learning

Social Studies #31: Explores change related to familiar people or places

B-I-N-G-O!

Today during Small Group Time, the construction group played Bingo! This was a special kind of bingo because the cards were handmade pictures from different students in the CDLL. The students were able to describe different colors and characteristics about the drawings, and would then see if the drawing was located somewhere on their bingo card. Lamont noticed, "That picture is green and blue."

 Pictured above, Maddie and Eassays are comparing their bingo cards with one another. "Look! We have the same picture!" exclaimed Eassays. "I got it!" Maddie said as she covered one of the pictures with a bingo chip. Eassays also took note of how many bingo chips he had by counting them and saying, "I have eight."

The students had a riot getting excited about covering their bingo boards and seeing whose would fill up the fastest. Charlie was ecstatic to see his card filled saying, "I'm bingotized! I win!"

The CDLL Staff wishes you a happy weekend and ten days off of school! We can't wait to see you when we get back!

-Miss Nolan

Teaching Strategies Gold Objective 11a: Demonstrates positive approaches to learning; Attends and Engages

Silly Putty Fun!

 Today in the Oak room, children were crowded around the silly putty table. Earlier in the week we had plain white silly putty, and today we added blue and purple. Children experimented by mixing the colors and making shapes. Many children noticed that the putty looked like an object also.

 Thelma made a pizza by flattening out the silly putty and smoothing her hands across it. She also tried to toss it in the air like the chefs do!

 Chloe made muffins from the silly putty by making small round balls and placing them in a line on the table. She counted 10 muffins. She also noticed that the silly putty was bouncy.

William first had a piece of putty on the table that he used his palms to flatten out. He then rolled it into a ball, added more silly putty, and rolled it into an oval shape. He said that it looked like a potato.

Teaching strategies: Cognitive, Objective 11e- shows flexibility and inventiveness in thinking.

I hope everyone has an awesome last day of school tomorrow, and an even better spring break! Enjoy :)
Miss Kubbe

One-Day Left Until Spring Break!

            This morning the kitchen was busy. There were two different activities going on. There was making pizza and fruity roll-ups. The pizzas were prepared for snack time later in the day.

       The fruity roll-ups turned more into tacos because they were so stuffed. The children where given cream cheese or peanut butter as a spread and provided- bananas, apples, kiwi, strawberries, and pears to cut up into their roll-up.

"It looks like a big taco!"- Madison

"I have healthy stuff on my taco- pears, bananas, strawberries."- Zoey

Teaching Strategies #30- Shows basic understanding of people and how they live

Ms. deGeus

The Wonder of Painting

Children enjoyed many painting activities today. Sponge painting could be found in the Oak room. While the Walnut room had colorful straws and eye dropper painting.

Children could play with toy cars and planes at the Oak light table.

Teaching Strategies: Physical #7:Demonstrates fine motor strength and coordination

   -Miss Miller

It's Getting A Little Warmer!

Now that we are finally out of the negative temperatures (for the time being), we were able to go outside today!  Many of the children ran around and enjoyed the snow falling from the sky while being outside.  Some of the girls took turns on the spinning seat outside while seeing how fast they could spin.  In the picture below Madison B. was spinning so fast you can see her hat flying off her head.  Thankfully the girls standing around her picked it up for her since she was dizzy after getting out of the chair.

Some of the boys used the shovels to collect snow on top of structures they built.  They worked together to collect as much snow as they could before having to go back inside.

Since it was snowing the whole time we were outside, some of the children (and teachers) tried to collect snowflakes with their mouths.

It was nice to be able to go outside and get some fresh air!

I hope everyone has a good first week of March :-)

Miss. Adcock

Teaching Strategies Objective 3: Children participate cooperatively and constructively in group situations

Monday Funday!

It was a busy first day of the week today! Students from the Performance, Construction and Photography small groups attended a field trip to Busch Theater. The children got the whole theater experience by exploring the stage, backstage, prop room, costume shop, and light area. We can't wait to see the pictures the children took on this adventure today!

While the other children enjoyed the smaller numbers during group and center time, they were able to explore the new materials available in each of the rooms. In the Maple room, we have added wood glue to the woodworking table to see what the children are going to make. 

"I'm making a picture frame!"-Chloe

 Group times have been focusing on letter recognition as well as making them. AM group did Chicka, Chicka, Boom, Boom, while PM group got to make letters out of pieces of yarn!

Have a great rest of your evening and just a reminder that there are only 3 more days until Spring Break!

-Miss Wolf