We have settled nicely back into our school routine and find that the children are moving through the classroom with purpose and ease. Our theme this month includes studying the solar system, stars, and constellations.
Solar system job demonstrating planetary distances from our sun.
As we gaze upward, the enormity of the universe begins to dawn on us and the children seem to grasp the idea that Earth is a planet (along with seven other planets) in our solar system and the sun is actually a star.
We encourage you to do a little stargazing with your child and let them experience the wonder of the night sky.
Now that the winter weather has arrived, please continue sending your child to school with jackets. Mornings, especially in the outdoor classroom, are quite chilly and jackets are required if students wish to work outside.
Most of our younger students are mastering the technique of putting on their jackets. We teach them a couple of ways of doing so. If there is a hood to the jacket, we show them how to pull their sleeves out, put the hood on their head, then fit their arms through the sleeves.
Another way is to place the open jacket on the floor, have the child stand facing the top of their jacket, bend down and place their arms in the sleeves, then flip the jacket up and over their heads. You may want to have your child show you!
Exploring some animals found in Antartica.
Zipping a zipper takes a lot of practice and we show students how the two pieces need to be lined up; once it is going, we hold the bottom firm so that they can experience the feeling of pulling the zipper up.
It’s also helpful to let your child practice buttoning their buttons. Once again, please make sure that your child’s jackets are clearly marked with their names.
Counting by “5’s” using the Five Chain.
The Chinese acrobats entertained and amazed us this week with their supple flexability
and their deep levels of concentration.
Lighting a candle; using a lit candle balanced on her chin!
Thank you to the parent volunteers who helped escort our class to the Smith Center to see “The Cat in the Hat” performance. For some of our students, that was their first theater experience. We appreciate the focus and care that our volunteer parents brought to this important task.
Please mark your calendars to visit P1, on Thursday 1/28, and have your child show you three of their favorite jobs in the classroom. From 4:00-4:45, we invite families (students and parents) who have last names starting with the letters A-M to come to school and let your child guide you through three lessons. At 5:00-5:45 we invite all our families whose last names begin with N-Z to come to P1 and learn from your child. This is truly a moving experience when you see your child sharing their favorite works with you. We look forward to seeing all of you here!
REMINDERS
No school on Monday, 1/18 in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. day.
Thank you to Vivian L. and Gabriel, and their families for providing delicious snacks and beautiful flowers for our classroom.