The ball study has your child bouncing with joy! Our first topic is what do we know about balls and what do we want to find out ? This study will help the children explore social studies, and science concepts related to the nature of balls. During this study we will encounter several different types of balls. 

Math and science is taking off in this classroom! We counted each time a ball bounced and we discussed the size of balls.  I brought several large balls into the classroom. The children loved having a ball that they could sit and bounce on.  We discussed the color of our large and small balls. Science is a favorite topic in this classroom. One of our lessons had your child guessing if a ball would float in water. The ping -pong ball floated , but our heavier solid ball did not float. We will be using several types of balls as we continue to find our what type of balls will float.  

Painting is one of my favorite activities! We used small, medium and large balls for painting. We placed our balls into paint, and let them roll! . As your child moved the tray the ball rolled and left beautiful colors behind. We are learning how natural forces affect the movement of balls. Each work of art is different and unique, just like your child.   

The physical education class is rolling right along , as Mrs. Nichole uses balls in several of her lessons. Mrs. Nicole teaches a structured class everyday . Your child is learning to follow directions, and take turns . Each class is filled with the joy of learning. The children can't wait to find out what activity Mrs. Nicole has planned for them. Your child is given a set of verbal instructions and a task to preform. It might be a tag game, or learning to kick a soccer ball from a line to a wall. We love p.e. !! The next few weeks we will be discussing balls that roll and bounce . We will also continue to explore forces that make a ball move.   

Important dates:   Christmas party - in our classroom -December 20th 9:15 early dismissal at 11:00. A special visitor will be attending our party.  

Christmas break    Dec. 21 - Jan. 2 

 The tree  unit has us branching out in all directions. We discussed that trees grow and change and people grow and change. One of the joys of teaching is watching the children grow. During a science lesson we learned that trees come from seeds. We learned about seedlings and we discussed the growth of trees. We compared ourselves to the many trees that are growing on our campus. I told the children that we all started life as a baby, just as a mighty oak starts life as a seed.  I had the children bring a baby picture to show the class.  We took turns showing the class our pictures and discussing how each of us had grown and changed. We were blessed to find a baby pine tree on one of our many nature walks. 

During a math lesson we used parts of a tree to sort and classify.  Sorting and classifying objects is a fundamental skill and the basis for understanding many concepts in math and science. I also used apples for sorting by color.  We sorted leaves by color and by the type of tree they came from.   Red and yellow leaves were used to create a- b patterns. When your child is creating a pattern, they are learning to observe, think and problem solve. 

This fall has been great and the children had a blast with all of our seasonal activities. Halloween was spectacular and the highlight of our Halloween party was the fashion show! The children loved wrapping each other up as mummies and having a great snack. The fall program was a  hit and the feast that followed was wonderful. Thank you parents for helping with this tasty meal. I  hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving break and when we return to class we will start a new study on balls. 

Thanksgiving break -- Nov. 20 - 24 

We started off the month of October with flashing lights and a roaring siren! Our fire safety program was a big hit! We watched the firemen as he put on his fire gear. We learned not to be scared of a fireman! The highlight of the program was exploring the fire truck. I think we might have a few future firefighters in this class!

We have moved into our unit on trees. We are blooming with knowledge. Your child is learning about animals that live in trees and foods that come from trees. This unit has allowed us to take several nature walks around our beautiful campus. I used the trees on our campus to discuss the characteristics of trees in our community.

We discovered that bats and squirrels can live in trees, and people.  Your child does not need a passport to travel the world during computer time. During our computer lesson , we watched the construction of tree houses. People can live in wonderful tree houses  We were able to see the thirteen most beautiful trees in the world during a computer session. I love to bring in a little geography to our day.  

We discussed the parts of a tree and we used pine needles for a paintbrush. The children were able to walk on tree roots and feel tree bark. We learned that the bark protects the tree.

We learned that some fruit comes from trees.  Apples can be red, yellow or green. The next few weeks we will be learning about taking care of trees. I will also discuss how trees change. We love the tree unit.....stay tuned for more wonderful information.

Important dates --  November 4    St. James Gala    -- Class Fall Program -- November 16 at 10:00 in our classroom

The first unit enlightens your child to the beginning of school. The start of a new school year can be a little scary and sad for a young three year old. It might be the first time away from mom and dad . Your child will be meeting a new teacher and will be around children he or she has never seen before. I will do my best to ensure your child has a great year!

We are focusing on names at school, and feeling sad or scared at school. Our unit also discusses rules at school. Rules at school help to keep us safe. We discuss our rules and help each other to remember them. 

I will be introducing your child to the letters in their name and the letters in their friends name. We are focusing on recognizing the letters in our names and drawing pictures of our family and friends. Mat man is here to help us with our fine motor skills , the children love to put him together. I also have books with mat man that introduce shapes and opposites. 

We will be having a blast with nursery rhymes. Before your child can read site words they are listening to songs, and rhymes. Nursery rhymes will help your child with comprehension skills, and sentence formation. Social skills are blooming as your child acts out Little Miss. Muffet , and Humpty Dumpty. 

Stay tuned for more wonderful information, and keep your eyes open for the Gingerbread Man. We will be searching high and low for him. The children are having a great time using their gross motor skills with Mrs. Nicole. Everyone looks forward to p.e. !!

We are off to a great start! Have a great week and I know we will!