We were a small but mighty group in the Orange Classroom this week. While the majority of friends were absent, it gave those who were present the opportunity to form different play groups than what happens when everyone is at school. Young children are happy to play with any other child who wants to play enabling new friendships to be made.

Most of this week revolved around penguins. Our bulletin board is decorated with many kinds of projects. Note the painted penguins. The children had a sample to look at while I talked them through the process: paint a small black circle for the head, paint a large circle for the body, make the black wings, use the white paint to fill in the body/head, etc. Every year I love to see the final products. Even though they are all different, they are identifiable as penguins.

By now, you have probably guessed who our Circle Time visitors were this week. If you said penguins, you are correct.

On Tuesday, Mrs. Wada used her snare drum during our Music Class. She always celebrates the new year by choreographing steps to go along with the songs “The Radesky March” (composer Johann Straus I) and “Blue Danube” (composer Johann Straus II). These two songs are traditionally played by the Vienna Philomonic during their New Year’s Day concert. It is wonderful to see the children introduced to many classic pieces of music incorporating dance and clapping. On Wednesday, Mrs. Lyng had her guitar. The children are learning to note if the music is playing down the scale (sit down) or up the scale (stand up). Everyone was thrilled to get a chance to strum the guitar using Mrs. Lyng’s pick.

For the first time ever, Mrs. Reiss brought the Little Tikes Cozy Coupes to the Big Room for play. The children loved riding in them, honking the horns, going forward and backward, and though I tried to keep them from crashing, turning them into bumper cars.