a holistic pre-school and kindergarten

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

News of the Day 12/14/2011

This morning we...
- all played the board game "Pirate the Pirate"
- read "The Tomten and the Fox"
- played supers
- played crab family
- built a house with hollow blocks and played babies
- practiced our most difficult songs
Outside we...
- played super worms vs. the hawk and jaguar
This afternoon we...
- welcomed Lois for a top secret workshop

*** We decided to say goodbye to our slug friends Slimy, Fred, and Little Albert. Amazingly when we emptied the tank... THEY WEREN'T THERE!!!

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

News of the Day 12/13/2011

This morning we...
- worked for a long time on a Winter Celebration decoration
- practiced our songs
- read "The Tomten"
- played jungle, and spookyhouse, and babies
Outside we...
- played Bite Me Pizza
- bounced on the big plank
- played Robots, and Supers, and Burglars
This afternoon we...
- played Go Fish
- read about the Winter Solstice

Monday, December 12, 2011

News of the Day 12/12/2011

This morning we...
- drew pictures and cut paper
- played logic games
- had Español con Teal
- played mice
- played Rapunzel and Sleeping Beauty
- had Piano with Britta
Outside we...
- mixed cement (snow and dirt)
- made a sidewalk, using the cement
- played squirrels and elves
This afternoon we...
- read "Snowballs"
- began working on collage snow people

Friday, December 9, 2011

News of the Day 12/9/2011

Today we...
- drew pictures, cut paper, and punched holes
- practiced sewing
- sang our favorite songs
- ate chip and hummus and clementines
- played Polar Express
- played key land
- put on a puppet show
Outside we...
- shoveled and had a snowball fight. We practiced NOT throwing snowballs at faces

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Let's Talk Supers...



Today we...
- built an extensive train track and road. We pretended they were sidewalks and the trains were sidewalk plows. We played this for quite some time!
- read "Gingerbread Baby"
- ate chips and hummus and popcorn
- got ready to go outside ;)
Outside we...
- shoveled snow
- played "conveyer belt"

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

News of the Day 12/7/2011

Sushi Workshop with Marlee!!!
Today we...
- cut snowflakes
- made flyers
- read "Max's Castle"
- had a sushi making workshop with Marlee
- played sushi restaurant
- played animal hospital
- had Español con Teal
Outside we...
- played spaceship
- bounced on a looooooong plank

News of the Day 12/6/2011

Monday, December 5, 2011

News of the Day 12/5/2011

Today we...
- created objects (computers, beepers, trash cans) out of recycled materials
- layed out our new Number Line from 0-100 in groups of 10
- read "Monster Trap"
- saved Otis's sheep BaaBaa from any hiding Lego guys. We were a family during this defense, complete with a babysitter!
Outside we...
- played robots
- played hatching eggs
This afternoon we...
- talked about the number line and counted by 10's

















Reading Conferences- Jonah and Lily

Friday, December 2, 2011

News of the Day 12/2/2011

Today we...
- baked lots of play dough creations including burnt cookies and pie (that they tried to feed to their teacher!)
- read "One Hole in the Road"
- sang "Turn the World Around", "Ladybug Picnic", "Cat Came Back", and "Monkey and the Engineer"
- ate pretzels and apples
- built a BIG Cookiebot out of a hollow blocks and tried to save the cookies from the troublemaker dolphins
- played babies and animal house
- played Snail Pace Race
Outside we...
- played in the sandbox and on the swings
- hopped on the patio squares

Thursday, December 1, 2011

News of the Day 12/1/2011

Today we...
- created lots of cakes and pies out of play dough. We love to bake these creations in the play over!
- read "In The Night Kitchen", inspired by our play dough baking
-
sang "Monkey...", "Ladybug Picnic", and "The Cat Came Back"
- ate muffins and clementines
- built Cookiebot out of hollow blocks
- played babies
Outside we...
- were trash collectors
- played hoppers on a path of patio squares
- practiced on the swings

News Of The Day 11/30/2011

This morning we...
- finished our 2nd Titanic chapter book, "Titanic, The Disaster that Shocked the World"
- played "The Enchanted Forest" board game
- played spies
- learned a new measurement and counting board game "Inching Along"
Outside we...
- Played "Math Problems": some of us gave addition problems to others
- Played lava and gatekeepers on the patio squares
This afternoon we...
- completed the "Inching Along" game began earlier in the day

Reading Conferences: Rowan and Zora









Monday, November 28, 2011

News Of The Day 11/28/2011

Today we...
- drew at the project table
- had Español con Teal - practiced a song for the Winter Celebration and worked on colors
- sang songs and talked about the Winter Celebration
- practiced "Sharing Time" - We talked about being able to bring in an item from home to share with our friends. We talked about the difference between a question and a comment is. The children did really great with this and we will begin a regular Sharing Time soon.
- played police officers, and burglars, and robots
Outside we...
- created a LONG path out of patio squares that our neighbor Dezi
gave to us. We had to watch out for the HOT LAVA!!! surrounding the squares.
- played toy family= toy robot, toy leopard, toy doll, Barbie, and the owner.

Reading Conferences: Jonah and Lily


Wednesday, November 9, 2011

News Of The Day 11/9/2011

This morning we...
- worked on books and Interesting Stuff projects at the project table. Some of us worked on inventive spelling and some dictionary spelling with their books
- played veterinarian
- create and performed a marionette puppet show (see videos)
Outside we...
- went to Pomeroy Park!!!

Improv Marrionette Theater (Part 2)

Improv Marrionette Theater (Part 1)

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

News Of The Day 11/8/2011

This morning we...
- discovered new materials in our Interesting Stuff drawers
- drew with new colored pencils and stamped with new alphabet stamps
- created 2 new board games!!!
- had Piano with Britta. We found middle C
Outside we...
- constructed a cornmeal machine
This afternoon we...
- traced our hands. We will use these tracings in our piano class
- read "Buzz Boy and Fly Guy"

Reading Conferences: Nina and Otis

Today we made boardgames! (Part 2)

Today we made boardgames! (Part 1)


What a wonderful morning we had today. Inspired by some new materials, the kiddos spontaneously created board games, complete with playing pieces, creative movements, and rules. This is some sophisticated, heady stuff for 5 and 6 year olds right here folks!

I am so proud of our children. How industrious, and clever, and patient, and persevering, and creative they all are! I've always thought of board games as a microcosm of society and to see our children designing their own paths gives me such immense hope... Dramatic? Perhaps, but hopeful just the same!



Thursday, October 27, 2011

News Of The Day 10/27/2011

Today we...
- created with paper, tape, scissors, and crayons. Some of us made tickets
- ate pretzels, clementines, and carrots
- read "The Polar Express"
- built The Polar Express out of hollow blocks. We used Gus's hole puncher as our ticket puncher
- played babies
- played "work"
Outside we...
- played hockey
- played on the swings
- were the "brush-brush" team!


We built the Polar Express...









Punch your ticket!









The fireman shovel the coal...









Time to deliver the gifts...







































All aboard!

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Thursday, October 20, 2011

BBK Dinner Date



We had SOOOO much fun!

The next Breakfast Club?

Mmmmm, dessert!

Dessert cheers!

A magical night!


Otis's toast: "I thought of having this dinner party because I love kindergarten."

Nina to Lily: "Oh my god, we look so ladylike!"


COOKIEBOT! A HARRY AND HORSIE ADVENTURE (OFFICIAL TRAILER)


I can't believe I found this!

News OF The Day 10/20/2011



Today we...
- created lots of bakeables with playdough. The children love to make somethin
g, put in a pan, put it in the oven, and set the timer
for 2, 4, 5, or 18 minutes
- read "Cookiebot" by Katie Van Camp. This is THE favorite book right now
- sang "Monkey and the Engineer", "Ladybug Picnic", and the new favorite "The Cat Came Back"
- ate home baked cookies and oranges
- built Cookiebot in the blocks, but we forgot his head!
- painted at the easel
Outside we...
- played on the swings
- played hockey
- jumped into the leaf pile!







Wednesday, October 19, 2011

News OF The Day 10/19/2011


This morning we...
- drew and made coloring books at the project table
- had Espanol con Teal (donde esta?= where
is...?)
- made sock puppets and performed a puppet show
- built a flying ship and tried to avoid being captured by Smasher and put in his temple
- played logic puzzles
Outside we...
- played Easter egg hiders, hunters, and robbers!
- played lost kids
This afternoon we...
- painted at the easel
- had reading conferences (Rowan and Zora)
- wrote in our little books

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

News OF The Day 10/18/2011

Today Rowan taught Otis how to draw a
castle tower complete with turret!

This morning we...
- created pictures with stencils
- read "The Halloween Kid" by Rhode Montijo
- played "The Enchanted Forest" board game
- built a boat out of hollow blocks and went on a voyage
- played restaurant (I think the boat may have docked at the restaurant???)
- had Writing Workshop. We continued yesterday's wish theme. Today's prompt: If you had a magic pebble like Sylvester, what would you wish for. It can't be something for yourself.
Outside we...
- wrote and delivered mail to 2 mailboxes in the yard
- played wolves
This afternoon we...
- had Reading Conferences (Jonah + Lily)
- continued reading our chapter book "The Titanic Lost...and Found" by Judy Donnelly.

Monday, October 17, 2011

News OF The Day 10/17/2011

This morning we...
- walked to the Flynn Theater to see "Sylvester and the Magic Pebble." Actually we ran most of the way. A great amount of energy from this group! We LOVED the funny dancing squirrels who, of course, were not part of the book.
- spent a WONDERFULLY fun morning on Church Street. We went to Uncommon Grounds (decided by my 4 hours of sleep and the children being hungry), read books at The Crow, and had a performance on a bike rack. We spent a couple magical hour
s downtown which made me want to move our school to Church St! On the way home the children made up their own game complete with new names and family structure.
Back at school we...
- built a spaceship out of our new hollow blocks and went on a journey.
- had Writing Workshop. We wrote about what we would wish for if we had out own magic pebble.


Friday, October 14, 2011

News OF The Day 10/16/2011

Today we...
- used stencils and pencils and crayons to create
- read "There's No Such Thing As Ghosts" by
- ate chips and carrots and broccoli
- played super mamas and babies
- played matching cards
- built a big ship out of our new hollow blocks and played animal rescuers
- played at the table set-up with little animals
Outside we...
- played hockey
- played on the swings
- made a fort

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Turn the World Around



We sang this today and I thought I'd repost it from a few years back... I still love it!

News Of The Day 10/13/2011

Today we...
- created with paper, crayons, and scissors
- played with the little animals and blocks
- built and guitar shop and then sold Andy his ukelele
- played the ukelele and sang 'Turn The World Around'
- played babies
- worked on a USA puzzle
- read "The Littlest Pumpkin" and "Cookiebot"
- sang 'Monkey and the Engineer', 'The Cat Came Back', and 'I've Been Working on
the Railroad'
Outside we...
- played in and wheelbarrowed leaves into the lilac fort
- jumped in the leaf pile
- played on the swings


Wednesday, October 12, 2011

October

by Robert Frost

O hushed October morning mild,

Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;
To-morrow's wind, if it be wild,
Should waste them all.
The crows above the forest call;
To-morrow they may form and go.
O hushed October morning mild,
Begin the hours of this day slow,
Make the day seem to us less brief.
Hearts not averse to being beguiled,
Beguile us in the way you know;
Release one leaf at break of day;
At noon release another leaf;
One from our trees, one far away;
Retard the sun with gentle mist;
Enchant the land with amethyst.
Slow, slow!
For the grapes' sake, if they were all,
Whose leaves already are burnt with frost,
Whose clustered fruit must else be lost--
For the grapes' sake along the wall.

News Of The Day 10/12/2011

Today we...
- welcomed Zora backed to school
- continued our interest in goblins
- played the board game Enchanted Forest
- played camp-out
- had Science Workshop. We read part of the book "Slugs and Sails" by Claire Llewellyn and talked about the parts of a slug's body. We then took Little Albert out of the terrarium and recorded our thoughtful observations. We were particularly interest in the breathing hole.
Outside we...
- played "swing girls"
- played house
- played mummy family
- used big cardboard boxes as boats