Obstacle Course Fun

Today, Mrs. Weller and Ms. Goodman's small groups joined together. They participated in an obstacle course throughout the classroom that involved both many skills and a lot of fun. The children were able to do things such as, crawl under a table, walk across a balance beam, throw a ball into a basket, jump across carpet squares, and wiggle their way through a tunnel in order to complete this obstacle course. The children were full of laughter and smiles and seemed excited to participate and complete the obstacle course several times.

The children stood and listened as Mrs. Weller explained the obstacle course to them.

Audrey crawling through the tunnel.

Audrey, Farrah, and Rohan all working their way across the balance beam.

Asher tossing a ball into a basket.

Teaching Strategies: Objective: 5 - Demonstrates balancing skills & Objective: 6 - Demonstrates gross-motor manipulative skills
Mariah Darden HDF 409

Sunny Monday At The CDLL

It was an active, energetic, sunny Monday in the CDLL. Each room provided a variety of activities for the children to participate in. In the Walnut Room, new technology was available to play with. The children took turns playing with the Ipad, on an  application known as "Osmo."

"It looks like the same picture you drew." -Spencer

During morning centers, the CDLL had guests  teach Tai Chi to the children.

  The sun and warmer temperatures allowed the children to spend more time playing outside. The children rode bikes, climbed trees, and played with others. 

Teaching Strategies: Physical #6: Demonstrates Gross-Motor Skills. Emily Ezinga HDF 409

Foot Print Fun

"My feet don't leave prints" said Ramona 

Outside today went the children were playing by the sand and they noticed foot prints. The children then started comparing them to one an other. The teacher pointed out that when you walk on the sand it leaves your shoe foot print. 

"I leave square marks in the sand"

Teaching Strategies: Objective 27: Demonstrates knowledge of the Earth's environment
HDF 409 Megan McDonald 

Afternoon Outside Time On a Nice Thursday

Today at the CDLL we went outside in the afternoon to enjoy the nice weather. The children were doing many different activities. They were running, playing tag, flying paper air planes, climbing on the equipment, and doing many other activities. Many of the children were playing together during these games and conversing. There was a lot of laughing and smiling happening outside today.

The children were outside swinging, climbing, running,

and enjoying the great weather.

James and Jace were using sticks to "fish" for leaves off

of the cement ledge. James stated "I got a lot of them."

Jace stated " I use my hands to put them on my stick."

Alijah was running after his paper air plane

that he had just thrown in the air.

Teaching Strategies Objective 6. Demonstrates gross-motor manipulative skills. 

HDF 409 William Sheahan-Stahl 

Experimenting with Ice!

The ice experiment in the Walnut Room continues to be a popular place for the children to engage in! Earlier this week, we set out blocks of ice on the light table with some salt and colors.  The purpose of this is to sprinkle salt on the ice block, which melts holes or crevices into the block, then using the eye droppers to drop different colors into the ice block, it seeps into the crevices creating a really cool look, especially being over the light table! This activity opened the doors to have thoughtful discussions with the children about how the salt melts the ice as well as the idea of mixing colors!

"I'm trying to make purple. I'm mixing blue and red." - James

  

"It's melting!" - Andre

"First I put the salt, then the paint." - Rohan

"I bet it's going to make a big hole!" - Jace

 - Kayla Welker

Teaching Strategies: 24 - Uses scientific inquiry skills

What a Fun Wednesday!

Today was a fun filled Wednesday! Outside felt was so nice, the children were able to get plenty of time to play outside in the 62 degree weather!  It was so nice to see the children get to run outside and play with one another. Great memories were created, as the children played together with their friends.

                                     
Bella and Aliana posed for a picture on the large stump!

                                     
Ramona spins Macrae in the spinning chair outside!"Go faster!" Macrae says.

                                     
"We are cats and we are hiding," said Busola. Lilly F. and Victoria join Busola as they duck down to hide in the brush and pretend to be cats.

Teaching Strategies: Social-Emotional 2. The children establish and sustain positive relationships.

Doctor's Office Fun! 

The Doctor's Office in the Pine Room continues to be a big hit with the children! Today it was a very popular place to be. Many children enjoyed being both the patient and the doctor. Children were pretending to give shots, cast broken arms, discuss germs and the importance of staying safe!

Lila Beau- "I'm gonna fix your arm." 

Evie- "I'm calling another Doctor." 

Logan- "Gloves, so I don't spread germs." 

 

Teaching Strategies Gold # 36: Explores drama through action and language

Brittany Westphal-409

Ice Melting

Today in the Walnut Room the children were able to experiment with ice, salt, and watercolors. The children got to see how salt melts ice and how the watercolor looks when it travels through the melting ice. This was a popular spot in the school throughout the day and the children seemed to enjoy it. There were two blocks of ice in the tub. One of the blocks was completely solid and the other block of ice was hollow. The children noticed how much quicker the hollow ice block melted than the solid one. 

It's melting! - Victoria

Look at the colors! - Favour

Woah! It's cracking! - Sovie

It's cracking because of the salt! - Zoey

Teaching Strategy #24 - Uses scientific inquiry skills. 

Talisa Bergeron 409

TUESDAY IN THE OAK ROOM

Today was a busy creation day in the Oak Room. Children were creating a ramp for their race cars. The children looked at a picture of a ramp on a tablet, and formulated their ideas together based on how they thought they wanted their ramp to look like. Then they got cardboard and packaging tape, cut the pieces to make a big long road. The children had to work together to figure out how long they wanted it and how high they wanted it to go. Finally, after a few trial runs they wanted to tape 5 long pieces together to form the track, as well as taping it to the window for the slight angle so their cars wouldn’t stop.  

"We need to slant it" - Divine

"It needs edges, so our cars won't fall off" - Mathias

"This can go here" - Divine

 "We need to tape it right here" - Logan

"Let's do it together to see which one is faster" - Mathias

"Ok, 1-2-3 GO!" - Divine

Trying out the finished track!! 

Teaching Strategies Gold: Objective 11: Demonstrates positive approaches to learning

Teaching Strategies Gold: Objective 3: Participates cooperatively and constructively in group situations

HDF 409 ~ Abby VanDerStuyf

GOAL!!

Today in the Indoor Movement Room the children played scooter soccer. The children were scooting around only using their feet to kick the ball into the goals. They then changed the rules a few times so that then they could use their hands to pass the ball. Later on Busola and Victoria made a red sign and green sign for Red Light, Green Light. The children raced back and forth on the scooters trying to be the first ones to the end so they could get a turn as conductor.

"I'm going to score!"-Logan

"I made Stop"-Busola

"I made GO"-Victoria

Teaching Strategy- #6 Physical: Demonstrates gross-motor manipulative skills

Michael Young

Fun In The Sun!

This afternoon during small group Mrs. Weller's small group and Mrs. Gursky's small group joined together to play games near the Maple Tree. Mrs. Gursky's group asked Mrs. Weller's group if they could teach them a parachute game. The children started by shaking the parachute slow and then fast before playing games. The children then lifted the parachute up and two children switched places when their names were called. They ended their parachute game with a dance party under the parachute as the teachers held it up.

The children said, "let's move it up and down fast!"

  

"Wait where am I going?" - Asher

The children having their dance party!

Teaching Strategies Gold: Objective 3: Participates cooperatively and constructively in group situations

Lindsey Rennie, HDF 409

Special Visitors

Special Visitors Inside the Maple Room 

Today during centers inside the Maple Room the CDLL had two guest visitors from Mt. Pleasant High School. The visitors spent time reading books to the children, each child had the opportunity to pick a book of their choosing. Two books the children really enjoyed were "Inside the Barn, Inside the Country" By. Alyssa Satin Cupucilli, and "One Duck Cluck" by: Phyllis Root. Questions were frequently asked during the stories allowing opportunities for open collaborative discussion. 

Michigan State Standards: Early Learning Expectation: English Literacy Activities. Children demonstrate increased understanding and response to books, storytelling, and songs presented in English and increased participation in english literacy activities. 

Hot Chocolate

Hello CDLL Families,

This afternoon for small group, some of the children in pod B made hot chocolate. Mrs. Rennie wrote the recipe on large paper and discussed the expectations with the children. Then each child was able to follow the recipe and prepare their own cup of hot chocolate. They waited in line and then grabbed their own cup, scooped one scoop of mix, poured the hot water, mixed it up with a stirrer, and added five marshmallows.

"How many scoops does the recipe say?" 

"Mine is very chocolatey." 

"Five marshmallows. One... Two... Three... Four... Five."

"I'm mixing it all together."

Teaching Strategies Objective 17: Demonstrates knowledge of print and it's uses

Thanks for reading,
Abigail Lucas HDF 409

Kick The Cup!

Today was an exciting day in the Indoor Movement Room! The children had the chance to play Kick The Cup. Upper case and lower case letters were placed on red solo cups. Those red solo cups were then placed on the floor in a line where children had the opportunity to kick a ball into them. The cups that a child knocked over each had a letter on them. The children were first asked to identify that letter then come up with a word that starts with that specific letter. There seemed to be a lot of children who had very strong kicks. Most of the children knocked over more than one cup. The children then  helped each other think of different words that started with each letter.

"This is the letter I, it stands for ice-cream."-Audrey

"This is the letter I and it stands for igloo, only penguins can build igloos."-James 

"I got the letters M and H, did you know my name has both of those letters?"-Graham

"I got the letters H and D! I have a H in my name, H-U-N-T-E-R."-Hunter

By: Ashley Millmine

Exciting Day at the CDLL!

The children had a wonderful visit from some of CMU's science students during their AM center time. In the indoor movement room, children had the chance to cut out their own dinosaurs, experiment with conversation hearts, tin foil and magnets, and explore what happens when balloons, straws, and strings are put together. The children had a fantastic time learning with the science teachers!

The children are lined up to see what happens when a balloon is hooked to a straw on a string!

Here they are exploring with tin foil.

Alijah waiting to see how fast his straw will go!

 

 

In the afternoon, the children had a mid- winter celebration! Alijah's family brought in a popcorn maker so the children could enjoy some for their snack. The smell of popcorn filled up the whole school, they couldn't get down to the kitchen fast enough! They also drank strawberry milk that the children helped to make during their AM centers.

 

Mathias, Ella, and Divine

Anaya