Apple Time

The children have been busy making apple art projects, eating apples for snack, and singing our apple song. Maybe your child has been singing or humming it at home. I encourage you to sing the song with your child:

(Tune: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star)

Apple, apple on the tree,
I know you are good for me.
You are fun to munch and crunch,
For a snack or in my lunch.
Apple, apple on the tree,
I know you are good for me.

Some of their projects have gone home in the schoolbags and others are decorating our bulletin boards. The children enjoy seeing their creations hanging up in the classroom.

We continue to have beautiful weather for the outdoors. The playground is the place where the children are able to run around, and run, run, run is what they do. It is very important for them to have time during the day to expend their energy, and our Big Room with the climbing structures and the playground give them this opportunity. Young children are more able to attend to the task at hand when given opportunities to use their built up energy.

Now that the children are settled and understand the routine of Free Play time with the swapping out of toys and puzzles to be cleaned, there are times when they are given the opportunity to select their next item from the ‘staging area’ with teacher guidance rather than the choice always being made by the teachers. They know, sometimes with reminders, that when they are done with an item they must put the pieces back in the container or complete the puzzle before moving on to something new. This is something that they can also work on at home. Every year I hear from parents that their child will do things for me but not at home. I certainly have a different relationship with them than their parents, but it’s also the consistent routine done in the classroom and the children do not question it.

This week we had the opportunity to participate in a Creative Movement class with Mrs. Lyng (Wednesday) and a Music class with Mrs. Wada (Thursday). Both specialists have recorded wonderful, easy to follow videos which we can watch on a large screen. During this Covid time, while we need to stay within our own cohorts, our specialists are not allowed to teach in person multiple classes. Their videos are a nice substitute while we wait for this time to pass.

Last month I sent home a printed copy of our first monthly poem: Sand on the…… There is a seasonal poem for every month on our poem easel. We read these aloud many, many times. I will be sending a printed copy home every time a new one is introduced. Please read these with your child many times during the month. I suggest starting by reading it together, eventually taking turns with the lines, and eventually your child will read it aloud by him/herself.