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Saturday, November 7, 2009

Things That Go!

WE have been enjoying transportation month so far. I knew all the boys would love it, but I have found that our girls find it just as interesting! Our first week we studied maps, tickets, and trains- all very exciting topics for us.
Our book of the month is "The Pigeon Loves Things That Go!" by Mo Willems.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Harvest Party!

This year, instead of going to the pumpkin patch as a class, we'll be having our own pumpkin patch here at Just Kids! Friday morning, we are going to have a little harvest party and go down to the field, where we can choose a pumpkin, go for a 'hay ride', have a candy dig, and play games! The cost will be $3 for every child who attends, and it will be applied to your bill.
Then, after rest time, we will be having our class Halloween party! Send your child with their costume, and feel free to bring a treat to share with everyone. It's going to be a day full of fun! We hope parents can attend as well!

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

This week...

Our book of the month is 'We are Going on a Leaf Hunt' by Steve Metzger.

We are studying trees! We have discussed bark, the tree trunk, and porcupines, who make their home in trees. Be sure to look around the classroom at the projects we are doing as we turn our space into our own treehouse club!
p.s. check your child's art box for projects we completed last month.

Parent/Teacher Conferences.

As you may have figured out by now, I am only able to work half days so I leave for the day at 12:30 pm. My doctor has advised this, and within the next two months I will be on full maternity leave for 8 weeks. So there have been some changes in staffing, and consequently there has also been a lull in communication, since I go home before most children are picked up.
First of all, I want to make sure communication lines stay open. Even though I am not at the center after 12:30, I am available for meetings or I can be reached by phone. If you have any questions about your child's day, please feel free to call me or schedule a meeting in the afternoons to talk. I also plan to utilize the blog as much as possible to discuss what we are learning and any news or announcements.
Our daily routine is still the same; in the morning, I am still able to teach circle time and work on science and handwriting projects with the class. In the afternoon, Maisie is in the class to keep the afternoon routine going. We have shortened rest time quite a bit by not laying down until around 1:00 pm, and we have been trying to add as much to the morning, when I am there, as possible.
Over the course of the next month, we will begin fall conferences. We realize that half of our current class is new this fall, and we are at all different starting points with our students this year. The parent/teacher conferences will allow us to start out the year on the same pages, with open communication and a clear goal for each child. More info about dates and times will follow.
Lastly, if you would like to have direct contact from me every day, or even once a week, then give me your email address or email me at kate@celebrationcenter.com. I would love to correspond with you via email about your child's progress.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask them!
Thank you, Kate.

Monday, September 28, 2009

Toucans.



I asked the class today 'what does a toucan eat?'... here are some of their responses:
- butterflies
-seeds
-bugs
-dinosaurs
-fruit snacks
- a horse
-leaves
-pretzels
Ok, maybe we got a little silly!

We love learning about new animals every week!

Sunday, September 27, 2009

September 21-25th.

This week, we studied to emergent layer of the rain forest. This layer is home to many birds and insects, and we focused on parrots, beetles, and snakes. In circle time, we all knew what foods that each of the animals we studied ate, and we learned about a new snake that eats in a different way- a boa constrictor! We liked being snakes and slithering on the ground.
For art, we continued to make animals to turn our classroom into a rainforest and we made our own emergent layer. Slithery snakes and feathery parrots are in our classroom on display!
Please be sure to check your child's art slot every week to pick up projects and find important notes. We had a great week, and we are looking forward to our last week of studying the rainforest before we move on to another subject!
p.s. have your child point out South America on our map!

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

popcorn picnic.

It was a warm afternoon, so we had our snack of popcorn on the lawn today... made for some great pictures.




Dance and Spanish for preschool!

We are excited to offer DANCE and SPANISH classes for our preschool students! Fall session begins this week! (However, classes are on-going and you can register at any time.)

Here is a little more about the programs…

Spanish

This dynamic, immersion-based program is fun and engaging for the preschool learner. Students learn Spanish through interactive stories, songs, games, and art projects. Playful and relaxed classes support a natural approach to language acquisition.

Research shows that the best time to acquire language is when you are young. Learning a second language helps students to develop excellent critical thinking and problem solving skills and can improve overall school performance. Most importantly, it’s fun!

Teacher, Elizabeth Weybright has a Master’s in Teaching and has been teaching Spanish for more than a decade. She has lived in and traveled throughout Latin America and Spain. Her enthusiasm and expertise shine through in her approach to teaching.

Tuesdays and/or Thursdays

9:30-10:15 AM

10:30–11:15 AM

Pricing

1 class per wk……………….....$20/month

2 classes per wk………..……...$40/month

AND…

Xpressions Dance Studio

is excited to announce …

Creative Movement & Pre-Ballet

These fun and lively classes are especially designed for preschool-age children. Young dancers will develop imagination and self- confidence through creative improvisational activities. Classes are designed to gently and naturally build strength, agility, and coordination. Playful dances build body awareness, flexibility, and grace.

Creative Movement

Tuesdays and/or Wednesdays

10:15-11:00 AM

Pre-Ballet

Mondays and/or Thursdays

10:15-11:00 AM

Pricing

1 class per wk……………….....$35/month

2 classes per wk………..……...$55/month

3 classes per wk…………….....$75/month

4 classes per wk………………...$90/month

CONTACT KARA TO ENROLL TODAY!

756-4000 ext 318

Pick up a full dance schedule in the lobby to learn about school-age and adult classes.

All classes are open to the community.

Monday, September 14, 2009

Class Pictures!

Class Pictures will be Wednesday, October 7th! They turned out really great last year, so we're excited to do them again. Mark your calendars.

Changes.

We're on week two of our school year, and through the first week there were a few adjustments to the program, so here is the update:
We love having Mr. Cameron in our class! I must say, with having so many boys in our class, it has been very good for them and they have been incredibly responsive to Cameron and his creativity.
Since we aren't functioning at full capacity, Maisie will not be a full time teacher within the classroom yet. This means that we will only separate into two modules, and we'll keep science as a combined activity. Chelsea and Cameron will do art, and I will continue to teach circle time. Maisie will still be a part of our class, and she is formulating a cooking activity that she will do with the students each week. We love Miss Maisie, and it is always special when she shares with our class.

September 14-18th.

We are having fun in the rainforest- be sure to ask your child each day about what they've learned! This topic has proven to be one that really interests the kids. Take the time to step into the classroom and meet all the animals we've been making and look at what's going on within our daily routine.
This weeks we are discussing jaguars, the canopy layer of the forest, blue morpho butterflies, seeds, and rain in the rainforest. Some highlights include an EcoKid challenge, discussing why we take care of our environment, and 'adopting' a classroom plant- straight from the rainforest- that we can take care of! This month are covering letters Aa, Ll, and Ss as well as number 3.
If you have any questions about what we are learning, ask a teacher! We are having lots of fun.
P.S. check out our building area in the second classroom and see what we have been constructing.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Pictures from week one.















Tuesday, September 8, 2009

First Day of School!

Today was a great first day of school!
The kids did an excellent job adapting to the new schedule. We really enjoyed sensory time and made a great mess with the water table and sand. It was a favorite! We also got the chance to make some money to go to the 'grocery store' with all this week. We like money...
For art, we made our own plane tickets to fly to South America. Once we got there, we learned about the rain forest in science. Circle time went really well- we haven't had circle time in three months, so i was really impressed with how well everyone did! We even remembered to sit criss-cross applesauce and raise our hand to talk! The best part of circle time was choosing our jobs for the week. We are going to be great helpers.
This rest of this week, we will be studying tree frogs, vines, alligators. We really love learning about the rain forest. We are even learning how to recycle and be careful with our water in order to take good care of the earth.
Overall- awesome first day! I am looking forward to the school year. It will be so much fun.
If you have any questions or comments, let me know! I am always available for a meeting or chat.
Have a good week!
--Miss Kate

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Fall Preschool Schedule.

We're headed back to school! This fall, we are making some really great changes in our program. Be sure to keep updated with what's going on! If you have any questions about our fall schedule, please see Miss Kate.


Preschool Daily Schedule

8:00 am: breakfast

am group times:

-art studio

-sensory play

-math/science discovery

-games

-dramatic play

-writer’s workshop

8:30 am: breakfast ends

9:30 am: classroom clean-up, wash hands, use potty

9:40 am: snack

10:00 am: begin am modules

-science lab

-art

-circle time

11:30 am: outdoor time

12:00 pm: lunch

12:20 pm: potty

12:30 pm: rest time

2:45 pm: socks/shoes/potty- go to open classroom

3:00 pm: writer’s workshop/quiet art

3:30 pm: bookworm

4:00 pm: snack

4:15 pm: MWF outdoor time

TTH tunes and twirls time

5:00 pm: free play until parent pick-up

5:30 pm: merge with school age