Potions and Obstacles

Dear Parents,

We started our week playing in the classroom with math manipulatives, and reading books. During circle we worked on I words for our alphabet chart. Ice and igloo were the first words which was funny because we were ice cold. 

We read The Greedy Python, When Sophie Gets Angry- Really, Really Angry, and Feelings A to Z. Everyone made angry faces like Sophie, and we talked about why she was angry and what made her feel better. Someone said that the outdoors and the beech tree made her feel better. It was true. 

We mixed four potions this week. We used quart sized seltzer bottles, adding water and oil to one, water and cornstarch to another, water and dish soap to the third, and corn syrup to the fourth. We also added different colors of food coloring to each: yellow, red, blue, and green. We observed how the cornstarch and oil sat on the bottom of the bottles until we shook them like crazy. The corn syrup was very slow and thick, someone said, “Like syrup.” 

The class made more observations about the four potions: "The blue one looks like the ocean." "The yellow one looks like a pineapple." "The blue one is like a bath." "Because of the bubbles." "The red one is like strawberries because it's red." 

On Friday we did an obstacle course. We balanced on a long trail of big wooden blocks, stepped through a hula hoop, climbed up the big slide, down the little one, crawled through a long tunnel, over two bean bags, and then did it all again. Around and around we went until our line went mumbo jumbo. Afterwards we played in the big room.

Have a restful warm weekend,

Therese 

Sand and Bagels

Dear Parents,

We started our week playing in a sand bin with partners. The children said the sand felt dry, soft , hard, and they liked the color.  It is kinetic sand which does have a different consistency than regular sand. (Sand which- not sandwich).

On Tuesday we walked to La Bagel Delight. We saw a 450 degree oven, a bubbling cauldron of water, and many bagels. Rodrigo told us that he gets there at 4am every day and that they make about 500 bagels a day. “What is the most popular?” we asked. He said, “Everything and plain.” Afterwards we ate so many bagels, we barely ate lunch!

During tumbling with Casey we saw everyone balancing on a spot and on a beam, while playing with scarves. While half the class was tumbling, the others played ABC bingo in the classroom.  

We have been brainstorming words for each letter of the alphabet. On Wednesday we did F words: friends, fun, firetruck, family, farewell, first, four, five, fur, and fish.

On Thursday we worked with red Mexican clay. The children said it was much harder than play dough. We added water to soften the clay and used our hands to squish, roll, pat, poke, and squeeze the clay. Children made snowmen, balls, the school, the teachers, each other, and more. 

We played with our parachute on Friday. We sang a song about the colors of the parachute and named fruits and vegetables of the same colors. We sang “ I’m Being Swallowed by a Boa Constrictor”  while the parachute swallowed us up. When we were under the parachute, the class said, “ It’s like a tent.” Everyone took turns sitting in the middle while we sang London Bridge and took the keys and locked them up. That song always gets the most delightful smiles and laughter. 

Have a colorful weekend,

Therese