Field Trip!

The special Olympics are here at CMU this week. Today we took a walk over to check out what events were happening. There were a verity of events going on such as bocce ball, shot put, volleyball, and track. The children enjoyed watching the shot put event and were cheering on the athletes

After the events were over everyone walked back to school.  We had lunch then stayed outside for the rest of the day!

Teaching Strategies #3 Participates cooperatively and constructively in group situations
Teaching Strategies #31 Explores change related to familiar people or places

-Ms. Knight and Ms. Stack

What's in nature?

Today the mail group went on a walk through CMU’s campus. The children have been spending a lot of time outside and have been very interested in what was in nature around our school. The group decided to spend the time during small groups to see what kind of nature CMU had around it. While on the walk the children found a variety of things such as a birds nest in the tree outside the education building, worms, spiders and lots of bugs.  The children enjoyed finding all the different kind of bugs that were around our school.

 

Teaching Strategy #27- Demonstrates knowledge of Earth's environment. 

-Ms. Stack 

Getting ready to Garden!

Today was a sunny day and a great day for the CDLL children to start working in the garden beds to get them ready for seeding. There are many vegetables the children and teachers are going to plant this summer! The children used shovels and rakes to get all the weeds out of the beds and to move the soil around. Some of the children's jobs were to empty the wheel barrows when they were full in our decompose area and some were to pick the weeds. We had lots of helpers to prep the soil for gardening. The children enjoyed lending a helping handworking  while picking the weeds and moving the soil around!

Noah said "I'm ready to work!" Than said to his friends, "Hey, you want some help there?"

Kynzi said, "This is how a Gardner does it."

"I just pulled it right out."

"I found a worm,"

said Liam

"I got a big root," said Prosper

Teaching Strategies:

#27- Demonstrates knowledge of Earth's environment

Ms. Nichols

Veits Woods!

Today the nature group took a walk to Veits woods. They have been planning on what they wanted to do while in the woods and the list included a variety of games, exploring, finding frogs and other bugs and climbing trees. The walk took about 45 minutes and we had a few breaks along the way. The children loved it when we reached the woods and had fun exploring and discovering the new place.

They found a tree with writing on it and were very intrigued to know what it said and all had different ideas about who wrote on it. They found bugs and some of the children were able to identify what kind of bugs they were. 

Teaching Strategy #27- Demonstrates knowledge of Earth's environment. 

-Ms. Knight 

Let's Play Kickball!

It was such a lovely day today with the weather!  We took advantage of it by playing a big game of kickball.  In the afternoon we set up the kickball field in the zen garden out front of the CDLL.  All of the children that played were the kickers trying to get on the bases and make runs.  We had a couple teachers that played as the outfielders and even some of the parents joined in at times when they came to pick up their children.

Everyone had a lot of fun kicking the ball and running away trying not to get tagged by the teachers.  Towards the end we even had some of the children that wanted to help the teachers in the outfield.

Teaching Strategy: Physical #6 Demonstrates gross motor skills

Nicole Mulvihill

Lemonade Stand

Today the children got to experience the new lemonade stand for the first time in the Pine room. It turned out to be a big hit. Many children enjoyed making the lemonade including Zoey, Victoria, Libby, and Haley. Once they made it then they bought lemonade from one another using the play money and the children would yell out, "who wants some lemonade."

Zoey was giving Haley some money for some lemonade.

 

 

 Teaching Stratgies: #10 Uses appropriate conversational and other communication skills

 

  Kimbely Miller

First Day of Summer Camp

Nicole Mulvihill

     Today was out first day of Summer Camp!  Before going out and spending the day outside, Pod B had an obstacle course set up for the children to do during group time.  It began with a limbo stick to see how low they could go. The second part of the course is where they went to through the ring path.

The next part of the obstacle course was a balance beam which then lead to the the final obstacle, the tumble mat!  At the tumble mat the children could choose whatever they wanted to do on it.  Some of the children did summer salts, some did flips, and others jumped through it.  After the children went through it a few times they cheered for the teachers to go through which they then did!

Teaching Strategy: Physical #6 Gross motor skills

Multi-Sensory Time

Friday May 23rd, 2014

Today was the first day of summer camp! The children played inside before morning group. Inside the Walnut room, there were sensory tables filled with red and green water, as well as, beans. Oliver started at the water table. At the water table he said, "The red water is people potion and the green water is zombie potion." Max was also at the water table and experimented with mixing the green and red water using large eye droppers.

While Max continued to experiment at the water table, Oliver became interested with the sensory table that had beans! "Who wants bean soup?" said Oliver. Sophie joined the sensory table also. "I'm making cinnamon rolls, with some strawberries, some cookies, than some water. The seeds are going to be the water," said Sophie. As Sophie mixed her ingredients together she than said, "I'm making strawberry cinnamon rolls. Now, I need some cinnamon and than frosting." The children enjoyed the sensory tables and were very creative with ideas!

Teaching Strategy:

#14: Uses symbols and images to represent something not present

#24: Uses scientific inquiry skills

- Ms. Nichols

Students get their Art on!

As the week is coming to an end the students have had time to explore the new parts of the classrooms and got to spend more time outside. Today in the Oak room some of the students spent their time sketching pictures of flowers then chose to color them with the water colors.  This has been a popular place in the Oak room since it has been added. 

While outside this afternoon some of the students spent their time playing in the sandbox, on the bikes, playing with bubbles or playing squirrel tag.  The children were enjoying running around with the teachers playing squirrel tag and enjoying this beautiful weather. 

-Ms. Stack
Teaching Strategy: The Arts #33 Explores the visual arts
Teaching Strategy: Physical #6 Gross-Motor Skills

Loving the outdoors!

As our start to the summer semester begins the students are thrilled to be able to spend so much time outside. They get to spend time in the beautiful weather and utilize all of the activities in the outdoor play area. During center time many of the students choose to spend their time outside playing on the slide, with the bikes or in the sandbox.

Bubbles have also been available the last few days and the children enjoy watching them float all around the area. They also love to pop them and laugh as they run around. 

Teaching Strategy #4- Body control and activity. Participate in regular activity. 

Have a great day! 

-Ms. Knight 

Summer is in Full Swing!

It was a hot day out today with the sun shining but, the children loved being outside because of the weather that we had yesterday.  In the morning, the bikes were a big hit riding around the play yard.  In the afternoon, we had bubbles out for them to blow or to run, jump, or catch them to either pop or try to save.  There was not a cloud in the sky during the morning so some of the children even wore their sunglasses!

There were a lot of stops at the drinking fountain to keep hydrated and many of the children came inside after awhile to cool off and take a break from the summer heat.  With summer finally here, the gardens, plants, and flowers and looking colorful and fantastic.  The children helped to keep them hydrated just like they were doing for themselves today.

Teaching Strategy: Physical #6 Gross-motor skills

Bubble Fun

Wednesday May 21st, 2014

It was a hot day out today at the CDLL! During outside time in the afternoon, the children made all sizes of bubbles! The children really enjoyed this activity as they ran around chasing and popping the bubbles! Zoey, Noah and Ne'siah were jumping really high to catch the bubbles above their heads.

Drew and Jamie blew their bubbles for other children to pop and catch. There were many sizes of bubble makers for the children to choose from. This outside activity involved a lot of the children and kept them cool as the bubbles popped on their arms and feet!

Teaching Strategy:

Physical- #7- Demonstrates fine motor strength and coordination