It's a bird....It's a plane...It's a helicopter!

Today at the CDLL, children were given the option to take a field trip to see a helicopter land at Finch Field House. On the way to see the helicopter some children pretended to soar like a helicopter. Children waited patiently for the helicopter to land. Once the helicopter landed, Head of the Michigan National Guard Major, General Gregory Vadnais came to greet the children. A few of the children saluted the General, while others shook his hand.

CDLL Children: "We want helicopter!"

David: "We waited for so long!"

Daniel: "Army guard guys came out of the helicopter."

Teaching Strategies Objective: #11 Children demonstrate positive approaches to learning. 

April 28, 2016

Ms. Hallgren and Ms. Vedder

Outside Fun!

Today was a beautiful day! The children had so much fun playing outside. During large group the children went out to the zen garden and played red light green light, which is always a hit!

 Teaching Strategies Gold: Objective 4: Demonstrates traveling skills 

4/27/16

Ms.Monforton

Wacky Wednesday

Wacky Wednesday!

Today was wacky Wednesday in the CDLL. Many children and staff members dressed in their wackiest clothes and had their wackiest hair styles. The children got really into it! It's awesome to see so much participation in spirit week. Keep it up!

Objective 36: Explores drama through actions and language

Lauren Reiter

A Wacky Day!

Today is Wacky Wednesday! Which means that the children had the chance to wear their wackiest cloths and wackier hair! Today was full of sunshine, silly smiles, and just having a great ol' time!

Kayla Tanner

Teaching Stratigies Gold #33 Explores the visual arts

4/27/16

Did You See What I Saw?

Today was the first day in the Maple Room where a real saw was available for the children to use.  The children were directed to use gloves while they used the saw to protect their hands and a teacher was right behind the child at all times who used the saw.  The children realized how tough the piece of wood was and learned about blowing the saw dust away to see how far down the wood had gotten.  They learned all about safety and being careful with sharp tools while they waited for a turn.

"It's really fun." - Ashtin 

   

Miss Viges

Teaching Strategies Gold # 28 - Uses tools and other Technology to perform tasks

Rainy Days and Worms!

As we are finally rolling into spring the weather has changed many times! Today it was a rainy spring day so the worms had surfaced from the ground. Many of the children at the CDLL noticed all of the worms and other bugs laying in the sidewalk as they walked into the CDLL. When it was time to go outside many of the children wanted to see what other bugs they could find on our playground! Danny, Sarah, and Lamar chose to get two containers to put their bugs in and went on a hunt! 

Danny said; "Look what we found! We found Roly-polies and more worms!" 

After showing a teacher their findings, Lamar told Danny, "Lets walk around the whole playground to see what we find!"

Ms. Seamans

Teaching Strategies Gold # 25 & 26

Demonstrates Knowledge of the Characteristics of Living Things

&

Demonstrates Knowledge of the Earth's Environment

Body Investigation

In the Walnut Room there's lots of new things for the children to explore and see at the investigation table. One of those things being the human body, which has different organs, a brain, heart and more to be able to look at and place in its proper area. The children identify that these are all things that we have in our bodies and are used to help keep us healthy and living.

"We have to see where this part goes."- Stephen

"He needs this to live." - Carter B.

"Look it's our brain!"- Stephen

Teaching Strategies Gold Objective 29: Demonstrates Knowledge About Self

4/20/2016

Ms. Juzyk

Sensory Overload

Today in the Walnut room, the children explored materials at the sensory table and in the sensory container. At the sensory table, the children used their sense of touch, fine motor skills and discovered different things they could do with floam. They were able to use different materials assist them in cutting, shaping and rolling the floam. At the sensory container the children used their sense of  sight to look for letters in the sand. They were given stars with words, for example the word pig and they had to look for the individual letters P I G in the sand. 

April 19, 2016

"Lets make letters with the floam." ~ Pelumi

"I have a big pile of floam." ~ Andre

"I am looking for the letters in the word moon. I have the letters M and N, I need two letter O's." ~ Pelumi

~ Mrs. Schrank

TS Gold Objective  #7 Demonstrates fine motor strength and coordination 

a. Uses fingers and hands

Fun with Scooters!

Today in the Indoor Movement room, the children played a new game on the scooters. The object was to get the balls into a basket while riding around on the scooters to collect them. The children were very creative with how they held onto the balls so that they could carry more at once. Some of them filled their hands with four or five at once, while other children used their legs to hold even more. In one round they raced to see who could get the most balls, and next they tried to work together to get them all as fast as they could. 

"I got three balls." -Alijah

"I'm gonna put my balls in the basket." -Hailee M.

-Ms. Stuart

Teaching Strategies Gold Objective 6: Demonstrates Gross Motor Skills 

Fun in the Sun

With the weather getting nicer, many small groups have decided to venture out onto campus and today, Mrs. Nims' small group headed across campus to observe a large sculpture.

"What does it look like?" asked Mrs. Nims.

"It looks like stairs." -Olivia

"It looks like a cool playground." -Daniel

"That looks like a slide," Helena said pointing to a flat piece.

"A squirrel playground." -Axel 

-Ms. Peters

Teaching Strategies Gold: Objective 33. Explores the Visual Arts.

Dancing with a Special Guest

This afternoon, we had a special guest come to dance with us. She warmed us up with some exercise and stretching. Afterwards, we played the freeze game with galloping, skipping, and hopping. From there, we all got a piece of newspaper and the children gave their own ideas on how to make a dance out of it. The children gave ideas like throwing it, jumping over it, and spinning with it. We ended with a game based on mirroring one another. We followed a leader and did the moves that they did.

Teaching Strategies Gold: 

The Arts Objective 35: Explores Dance and Movement Concepts

Miss Hild

The Highs and Lows of the Musical Scale

Today the Pine Room was lucky enough to have some music guests come and teach the children a song about the high and low notes on the music scale.  They brought two different xylophones in to play their song on.  Once they found a starting note they sang in high notes. "higher than a house, higher than a tree" and then in lower notes, "underneath the water, underneath the sea, whatever could it be?"  Each child had a turn coming up and playing a few notes on a xylophone.  For the rest of the day children could be heard humming the song they learned in the morning.

I want to sing the low note! - Axel 

Teaching Strategies Gold - 34; Explores Musical Concepts and Expression

Date - 4/13/16

Miss. Viges

Off to the Sac We go!

Today, a group of students went down to the Sac for a field-trip gym class! There was six different activities development by other students that attend Central. The children learned to skip, bounced a ball, play balloon tennis and swat the fly.

Teaching Strategies Gold: 6. Demonstrates Gross Motor Skills

Date: 4/13/16

Kayla Tanner

Water we doing? Painting!

Now that it is Spring, children have had the opportunity to use pictures of nature and flowers as models for their works of art. At the easels, children were inspired by pictures of natural phenomenons like tornados, volcanoes and lightning. At the watercolor table, many children modeled their paintings on flower beds and the changing of seasons. 

"I can't wait to see these outside!"
-Makenna 

"I am using this orange because there isn't any brown for the dirt."
-Axel

Teaching Strategies Gold 33:

Explores the Visual Arts

Mr. Taylor

It's Finally Starting To Feel Like Spring!

Today, we finally got to enjoy some nicer weather with no snow! We got to spend extra time outside. There were children playing basketball, tag, having races, and rolling down the hill. There were many smiles all around.

"I scored!" - Aira

"I'll get you!" - Zoey

"Tag!" - Grant

"We gotta race all the way to that bench." - Andrew

"I got you! I got you!" - Lamar

"I'm gonna roll down the hill again!" - Grant

Teaching Strategies Gold Objective #4:

Children demonstrate traveling skills

04/12/16

Ms. Vedder

When Bears Take Over the Stage...

Today in the Oak Room, children were having lots of fun playing Big Black Bear. They put the song on the iPod and walked in a circle around the bear on the stage. Many children sang along with the song. They began shaking the bear to wake them up. When they bears awoke they roared and chased the other children.

 "Wakey wakey!" -Micah

 "There's a small bear." -Sarah

"I'm a nice bear." -Andrew 

"I'm going to be a bear this time." - Ms. Hild

"You're gonna be the biggest bear ever!" -Tommy

Teaching Strategies Gold 35:

Explores Dance and Movement Concepts

Ms. Hallgren

April Showers Brings More...Snow?

With all the crazy weather that has been taking place, more snow came from it for today when it was time to go outside. Between the rain that had fallen and the snow this made for some great packing snow! Together with Mr. Jonaitis, the children all worked together in creating one giant snowman!

"We need to all push it this way."- Leah

T.S. Gold Objective 11: Demonstrates positive approaches to learning

4/6/2016

Ms. Juzyk

Shake Your Sillies Out!

Today during morning center time, Mr. Dan came into the Indoor Movement Room to play his guitar and some music.  The children were able to get their wiggles out by dancing and using props. 

Mr. Dan started out the music with a welcome song by getting to know them and singing all of the children's names.

The children grabbed colored scarves and began to bring them up high and down low. 

After the scarves were put away, each child was able to get an egg shaker to shake to the music.

"That was awesome!" -Daniel 

Teaching Strategies Gold #34:
Explores Dance and Movement Concepts

Miss Sewell