Team Work Makes The Dream Work!

This afternoon in the Walnut Room, children worked together to build a wall using magna tiles. Even when times got tough for them, they learned to work together!

When they ran out of square tiles, they began using

two triangle tiles to make a square for the wall.

While making the wall, Micah accidentally

knocked a few magna tiles over.

"Oops! Sorry guys!" -Micah

"That's okay! We can rebuild it!" -Daniel

"We can just rebuild it guys!" -Aidan 

"We need some help over here!" -Aidan

Teaching Strategies Gold Objective 2:

Establishes and Sustains Relationships

Miss Sewell

February 29, 2016

Silly Putty Fun!

Today in the Walnut room the children made silly putty. The children helped make the silly putty, they were able to pour the different ingredients in the bowl and mix them together. The silly putty was a big hit. They enjoyed feeling and manipulating it.

It smells like chocolate-Sarah

It's slimy-Brennen

Teaching Strategies Gold: Objective #7a: Uses fingers and hands

2-29-16

Ms. Monforton 

New Inspiration at the Watercolor Table

This week, a dinosaur was added as the sketching object at the watercolor table in the Oak Room. Many children have expressed interest in dinosaurs, and this gives them the opportunity to sketch and paint one of their own. There is also a book displayed with dinosaurs as the characters for them to read. There are many different colors for the children to use, and one of them has glitter in it! Below, three children use the dinosaur as inspiration for their work.

"I'm painting the dinosaur." -Zoey P. 

"My dinosaur is going to be blue." -Ela

Kayden painted a dinosaur and a tree next to it. 

Teaching Strategies Gold #33: Explores the Visual Arts

Ms. Stuart

February 24, 2016

Balancing Plus More!

Balancing Plus More!

Today in the indoor movement room, the children worked on their balancing skills. As an added touch, we had the children try to ring hula-hoops around the target. This was a large gross motor activity. Many of the children did very well. Ainsley was the first up. She said,  "I got all 4", as she ringed all 4 hula-hoops. It was awesome to see her excitement. The children also had the opportunity to try and ring rubber hoops around cones.

-Lauren Reiter

Teaching Strategy:  Physical Objective 5: Demonstrates balancing skills

Pine Room Paper 

Today in the Pine Room, the desks were full of children using various tools, paper, and colors. They used examples of letters and numbers, scissors, markers, stencils, tape, staplers and more! Each child created a one of a piece work of art by themselves or as a team!

 

 "We are making a picture together, it's not finished yet!"-Daniel

 "I made a house. The roof is green and the bottom is purple."-Pelumi

 "I'm making a heart"-Hailee

Teaching Strategies Gold # 7 Demonstrates Fine Motor Strength and Coordination

Britney Randall

02/23/2016

Hold On to Your Paints!

In the Oak Room today, we had set out different colored jars of paints and small straws. The children could come in and put some paint on their paper and blow into the straw to see what happens when moving air hit the colors. Many children were curious to see what was going to happen, and many of them mixed the colors to see what would come of it!

Haliee M said; "I want to try Blue and Green!"

Ela said; "Wow! It made a rainbow!"

Miss Seamans

2/23/16

Teaching Strategies # 11 Shows Curiosity and Motivation

Open Wide!

Today, the children were able to experience some new materials in Pod B.  There was a lot of interest shown in the dentist's office found in the Pine Room.  Many children analysed the two mouths which held a lot of teeth for the children to count and clean.  Some children decided to be the dentist while other children decided to be the patient.  Some children even shared some stories from when they had been to the dentist.

Dentists clean your teeth! - Trevor 

Open wide!  I need to brush your teeth. - Tegan 

Miss Viges

02/22/2016

Teaching Strategies: #36 Explores Drama Through Actions and Drama 

Large Motor Extravaganza!

Today, a parent of one of our students put on large group at the end of the day. He sang many songs with his guitar, and had the children do large motor activities as they sang. He sang songs like "Going to the Zoo, Hokey Pokey, Shake Your Silly's Out, and much more". During all of the songs the children were asked to jump, twist, shake, and move their bodies in many other ways. This was a fun way to end the day.

"I'm slithering like a snake" - Asa 

 

"I can put my arm in!"- Ella  

"I'm balancing like a flamingo" - Helena

Teaching Strategies Gold Physical #5

Children Demonstrate Traveling Skills

Mrs. Smith

February 18, 2016  

Terrific Thursday!

Today the children were engaged in many different activities in the CDLL. In the Oak Room there were five different colors of finger paint the children could explore with. In the Walnut Room the children could investigate with a block of ice that contained natural rocks. The block of ice was in a container on the light table. The children could investigate what happened to the ice when they put rock salt on the it. There were droppers available for the children to drip colored water onto the block of ice. Also in the Walnut Room, children explored with shaving cream.

February 18, 2016

"Look at my hand, it is big. It feels good on my hand." - Helena

"I need salt and then I use color." - Sarah

                                                        "Shaving cream feels like a banana peel." - Ainsley                                                                                                                  "It smells like a big ginormous stinky leaf." - Micha                                                         "It is squishy and feels like soap." - Evie

Teaching Strategy Objective #26 Demonstrates knowledge of the physical properties of objects and materials

 Mrs. Schrank

Sympathy for the Bird

While playing in the Walnut room during center time today the children unfortunately watched a bird fly into the classroom window then fall to the ground. The children felt very sad for the bird. They all came up with many different ways in which they would help the bird if they could.

"We need to get him up there in the tree." -Trevor

"We can take him to the doctor." -Andre

"We need to go get him so that we can save it." -Tegan 

They watched patiently as Mrs. Gursky put on gloves and went out side to see if the bird was okay. As she was picking it up, the bird flew away to a safe place up high. The children cheered with happiness that the bird was okay.

Miss Malloy
02/17/2016

Teaching Strategy: #24 Uses scientific inquiry skills

Time for Texture!

Today, Mr. Jonaitis' small group explored textures. The children each took turns sticking their hand into the "mystery box" to explore the sensory bin within. As the children used their sense of touch, they described what the materials felt like to the rest of the group. Together the children guessed what the mystery material might be. In total the children examined the different textural feeling of shower gel, feathers, sand, shaving cream, cooked spaghetti noodles, crushed pretzels, and dried corn.

"It feels... Slimey, very slimey!"-Ainsley

"This stuff is STICKY! What is it?"-Andrew

"This time it was pretzels, I thought it was sand again!"- Micah

Teaching Strategies Gold: Objective 9: Uses language to express thoughts and needs

2/17/16

Miss Strobel



 

 

Building Together

Today during afternoon centers, the children used magna tiles to create structural designs. Throughout this time of play the children worked together to reach their goal while solving structural challenges, discussing and planning how they would accomplish their task.

Aliana: "This is a playground for the animals."

Andrew: "I am putting the last piece on top."

 

Teaching Strategy: 3 Participate Cooperatively and Constructively

Mouse Paint

The book Mouse Paint is very popular in our school. It can be read at group time, rest time, and more. Right now, it is placed in the hallway with multiple objects that can be used to tell the story. Today, several children chose to tell the story with these objects.

"Here's the blue mouse." 

"Look at my mouse." 

"The paint's off my mouse."

Teaching Strategies Gold: 

Literacy Objective 18: Comprehends and Responds to Books and Other Texts

Miss Hild

When Life Gives You Obstacles...

Today in the Indoor Movement Room, children got to practice their traveling skills by going through an obstacle course. This obstacle course involved balance beams, going through tubes, throwing balls into a basket, and using the scooters to go around a track.

"I'm getting closer!" -Mohammad 

Tommy climbs through the tunnel.

"I'm very careful with balance beams!" -Andrew

Tommy sits and scoots on the scooter with his feet pushing him around the cones. 

Teaching Strategies Gold Objective 4:
Demonstrates traveling skills

Miss Sewell

February 15, 2016

Painting the Snow!

Last week we planned to do this activity but we have been waiting for it to snow. We were excited today when we could finally introduce it. The children had the opportunity to use spray bottles with watercolors in them to paint the snow. They loved mixing the colors on top of each other to see what color would be made. 

"I sprayed this whole log to make it orange!" - Aidan

"Hey! This one is turning the snow purple!" - Asher

"When I spray it far away, it is hard to see the color." - Andrew

Teaching Strategies Objective 33:
Explores the Visual Arts

Ms. McArthur

February 15, 2016

Light Table Towering

In the Maple room, the children have the option to explore different material on the light table. During center time, Stephen choose to use the magnetic pieces when building his tower. Stephen used long triangles for his base, with small squares all around. Bigger squares to cover the top and more smaller squares on top for his balcony.

         "I have a circle and a square on my tower."

"I'm building this tower. I left a door open so they can get in and it will protect them."

"They can play up here on top of the roof, it's not scary." 

Teaching Strategy Gold #9 Uses language to express thoughts and ideas. 

February 11, 2016

Markita Kleckley

Balloon Volleyball

Today in Mrs. Weller's small group, the children played balloon volleyball in the Indoor Movement Room. There was a previous attempt at outdoor volleyball but it was too windy outside. The children worked together to set rules and expectations such as 'do not touch the net' and 'hit the ball over the net to the other person'. 

"The only time you should hold the balloon is if it touches the ground." 

"Push it!" 

"Sarah tossed it to me and I got it!" 

Teaching Strategy #6: Demonstrates Gross-Motor Manipulative Skills

Ms. Winkler

How do Children Use Tools to Perform a Task?

Ela's father joined Mrs. Nims' small group this week to teach the children about making new paper from recycled paper. After collecting recycled paper, ripping it into tiny pieces, and using a blender to make a slop type mixture the children finally got to create the new paper today.

"We're using leaves to make paper!" -Daniel

 "The towel's getting really wet" -Dakoda

"This is easy" -Pelumi

Teaching Strategies Gold: Objective 28: Uses tools and other technology to perform tasks. 

February, 10, 2016

-Ms. Peters

Talking About Love

 Today in the Walnut Room, children read a story about Valentines Day called, The Day It Rained Hearts.Once the children were finished reading the story they talked about who they loved and why they'd send them a valentine. After group time several children spent time making valentines.

"I'm going to make this for my mom because I love her." -Aliana

"I will make four valentines; one for mom, one for dad, one for brother and one for my dog." Carter B.

 

 "My mom is getting this one. I love her so much!" -Makayla

  "FiFi, who is your valentine?" "My mom." -FiFi

 

Teaching Strategies Gold

Objective # 2  Establishes and Sustains Positive Relationships

Ms. Thomas

2/10/16