Planting a Rainbow with our Sunshine 2s

Our twos prepared to welcome spring today by reading Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert.  It is a terrific story for our little learners.  Bright, vibrant images draw interest to the life cycle of a plant.  

We learned that plants have stems and leaves.  Then we used these parts to create art.  The boys and girls are learning to use glue independently.  We practiced putting the glue on the smallest piece of paper, which helps us manage our materials.  

Then we used real flowers to add blooms to our stems and leaves. 

During centers we further explored the parts of flowers.

We dissected them, which prompted us to use our new words: stem, petal, and leaf.  

Magnifying glasses make investigating so much more fun!

Time for a snack, fresh from the garden.  

We had carrots and ranch, flower pot pudding cups topped with Oreo dirt, and bunnies.  

Outside we learned to play Ring Around the Rosie.

We all fell DOWN!

Growing Vegetable Soup in the 4 Year Old Room

This week we are reading Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Elhert.  

The book has our attention on all things green, like these flowers that we added to our play-doh center.

Our sensory table is full on garden soil, pots, and vegetables.  

It is time to plant our garden!

We are readying the soil.

Making a soft bed for those tiny little seeds that we will plant soon.

Today we interacted with real vegetables.  

Each child brought in a main ingredient for our vegetable soup.  

They shopped for the vegetables, washed and chopped them.

Then we added them to our pot.

We learned to use kitchen tools responsibly.  

With the extra ingredients, we were able to see the parts of the vegetables.

We learned new words like silk, husk, and kernel.

While we waited for our soup to cook, we made place-mats. 

We drew pictures of our favorite vegetables and then labeled them.

Can you see the brown potato? Right underneath the child has written the sounds that she hears in the word"potato" or her version,"pdw".  We love to see our young learners excited about writing.  When writing with preschoolers, there is no right and wrong, just a celebration that they are hearing sounds and translating them to letters, which they then put on paper.  Seemingly simple, yet really a complicated process.  

Now that the table is set, it is time to eat!

The boys and girls really seemed to enjoy the soup- for the most part!

Everyone tried it anyway and we had a teachable moment about using nice words to describe foods that we don't necessarily care for.  

Sprouts!

Spring has ALMOST sprung and our 3s have been getting ready!

This week has them exploring things that grow in the garden.

C is planting sunflower seeds.

Speaking of growing... R used the measuring tape to see how tall he is now!

H brought a springy snack to share with his friends!

The boys and girls pretended to be seeds,

Then they grew in to big, strong trees.  

CPR Classes at SDS

This is the image that I simply can not get out of my head.  As a mother, aunt, teacher, I hope and pray that I could be so brave and effective in a similar situation.  

Here is their story...

Some 7 years ago Pamela Rauseo's 5 month old son stopped breathing and turned blue.  This resulted in a week long stay for observation in the hospital.  While there, she was taught infant CPR, just in case her baby ever stopped breathing again.

Fast forward to this scene on the side of a busy Miami highway  7 years later.  

Pamela Rauseo was driving her nephew when they got in a traffic jam.  She noticed that the 5 month old baby in the back seat was blue and not breathing.  She exited her vehicle on the side of the road and immediately employed the life saving skills she had learned in that hospital so long ago.  

This story has a happy and amazing ending.  It also has me thinking that it is time for a refresher course in CPR.  Since my last certification, the procedure has changed and from what I understand become more simplified for the lay person.  

As a mother, I am thinking that I would love for anyone that is caring for my child to have the same skills that this courageous aunt did.  

So... We will be holding 2 CPR classes at Sunshine Day School for our parents, family and friends.  

We have 2 classes planned, one in the morning and one in the evening. The class is 2.5 hours long and costs 20.00 for the class only and 5.50 more if you would like a certification card.  We are so pleased to welcome Mrs. Diane Gideons to SDS as our instructor!  Class size is limited to 8 people.  You will receive a reservation form in your child's notebook this week.  Just fill it out and return it with fee if you or a family member would like to attend. 

Thursday, April 3rd : 4-6:30pm

Tuesday, April 8th: 9-11:30am

Exploring our 5 Senses

This week our 3s are learning more about their world through focusing on their 5 senses.  

They made these fun binoculars, which really help you "see"!

They painted with their fingers.  

That was a funny "feeling" I bet!

Each of these cups hold a mystery. 

You have to "smell" and guess what the item inside is.

We smelled strawberry, chocolate, orange, and banana aromas.

Finally, we "tasted" yummy snacks.

I love to see the boys and girls using all the gifts that God has given us to enjoy his world.

The Vet Hospital

On Monday we noticed a funny little game of puppy and kitty going on during center time. It involved lots of meowing and barking, along with some tricks.   On Tuesday, it wasn't so little anymore and it commanded our attention.  What I mean is that it was getting really loud and a little unorganized.  We had a decision to make.  Redirect or Embrace.  If you know me, then you already know my choice.  I looked at Mrs. Rae and said, "Let's learn about pets".  If you check our calendar, pets are not on the schedule, but they are now!  In fact, MY plans for the week were for us to discover more about life on the farm.  I have been feeling a  tug towards a more child directed learning path for our students and the door was flung wide open for me this week!

Almost immediately we began to transform our classroom.  Mrs. Rae started taking down the McDonalds and I headed out to the shed for the Veterinary Hospital tub. My next stop was the pet section of the bookshelf, and finally a trip to Wallace Animal Hospital.  Special thanks goes to Dr. Blanton and his staff for helping outfit our hospital.  The E-Collars provide us with real world practice for operating snaps.  The bandage materials got us using scissors, and the posters and brochures provided us with endless environmental print.  

Fast forward to today...  As soon as they entered the classroom this morning they noticed the Vet Hospital. They were so excited and eager to get started exploring the new area in our classroom.   

When centers finally arrived, the dramatic play area was buzzing with activity.  

We looked at xrays of a cat.

Then we began to care for the pets.

This sick kitty was cold and needed a blanket.  

A dish cloth was just right.

It turns out the kitty also needed a "medical alert".  

So, I grabbed some paper and pencils and we got started.  

The medical alert concept was very popular.  

It was fascinating to hear the ailments of all of the pets.  

Hopefully you can see that this dog had a "TME AK" (tummy ache).

Writing with preschoolers is the best.  They are so excited about their new-found abilities and they are not afraid to make mistakes.  

This poor alligator suffered from the affliction of being hot.  

This Dalmatian's "PW HRTS" (paw hurts).

Each pet wore their medical alert around their neck or tummy.  

5 patients in all were seen today at our hospital.  My guess is that that number will more than double tomorrow.  I heard lots of plans being made for bringing stuffed pets from home. 

How exciting to be part of such a wonderful learning experience, and what a privilege it is to teach these amazing kids.  And for the most part, I think they taught me today.

I learned that the plans are something, but they are not everything.  I learned that being receptive to their ideas makes for a highly engaged audience.  

Art Show!

I always look forward to our spring art show!  It is a day where each child invites their family to school to see a piece of art that they have completed this year.  

I love celebrating these precious children and throwing them a party to

 celebrate how truly wonderful they are.

  I love that the children are learning that what they do at school matters and is important.  

 I love the smile that spreads across their face as they show their art to their parents, grandparents, and siblings.

I love that the arts are still a big part of what we do a preschool.

I love messes! 

 

And that is exactly what we had at the Make and Take Sidewalk Chalk Center.

The children followed pictorial directions to make a single serving size of sidewalk chalk paint.

I love showing families  how they can extend our preschool learning at  home.

Then they took it outside to create...

   

masterpieces with our friends!

Thank you to each and every one who made today a memorable one for our little learners. 

 You make a difference!