JANUARY!

January 2014

Happy New Year!
As we jump into our new year our PreK Class has many new adventures ahead. This being our 2nd semester we plan on moving from our basic routine into our full hands on Prekindergarten leap. This month we will spend a lot of time on identifying and reading SIGHT words. Our sight words of the month include: THE, IS, LIKE. 

Monthly Curriculum

Theme: WINTER

Literacy: V,J,W

Social Studies: Alaska/Eskimos

Science: Polar Regions

Math: Measurement #24-27

Centers for the month of January

Its all About Winter

Music: Alphabet review, I'm a little Snowman, Make New Friends

Literacy: Start of letter packets for V, J and W. Handwriting without tears Letter practice including Wiki Sticks, sight word books for students to practice and read at home/school, sight word poem and writing in a sentence.

Math: Measuring using a scale, Estimation station using cotton as "snow"

Science: Sort and match animal homes, what animals live in polar regions. Build play dough landscapes.

Social Studies: What would you wear? Color objects you wear in winter words on back. 

Crafts: Snowman Shapes, 2014 Hat, igloo making!

Month of October

HALLOOOOOOWEEN PARTY!

DATE: THURSDAY OCTOBER 31ST 

TIME: 10:00-11:00 

PLACE: PRE-K CLASSROOM
ALL CAN DRESS IN COSTUME, WE WILL HAVE SMALL GAMES, PUMPKIN PAINTING, FUN FRUIT TREATS, CARAMEL APPLES AND A SPOOKY GUESSING GAME. PARENTS WELCOME!!

October is a great month full of many exciting activities, a fun FALL theme and even a very fun holiday... Halloween! With all of this we will also be doing our first semester assesment for each student. This will be a tool for all of us to see the progress each child has made both socially and academically. We will be taking the time to do several parent/teacher conferences AS NEEDED. Enjoy this busy and very FUN month!

October Students of the Month:
 1.) Owen Jenes
 2.) Lexi Encina

 OCTOBER THEME: FALL

LETTERS OF THE MONTH: L,R,T

MATH: NUMERALS and COUNTING #9-11

SCIENCE: FARM ANIMALS/ON the FARM

SOCIAL STUDIES: ALL ABOUT COLORADO

WEEK OF OCT21-25/28-31

CIRCLE TIME:
ALPHABET SONG REVIEW: M, S, F, L, R, T
5 LITTLE PUMPKINS
LETTER HOT POTATO
INTRODUCTION TO LETTER Tt
PUMPKIN CARVING
PUMPKINS AND A LITTLE BLACK CAT HALLOWEEN SONG

MATH:
CUT AND PASTE TILES
5 LITTLE PUMPKINS STICK CRAFT
WRITING NUMBERS TO 10

LITERACY:
LETTER REVIEW
T IS FOR TURTLE ACTIVITY
UPPER AND LOWERCASE Tt MUSIC NOTES
WRITING AND LETTER RECOGNITION 
COLOR THE PICTURE SCARECROW

SCIENCE:
HORSE CRAFT
"OVER ON THE FARM" STORY
COW COLORING PAGE

SOCIAL STUDIES:
COLORADO BOOKLET SPORTS, BRONCOS, COLORADO ROCKIES
FINISH STATE BOOKLETS
"BORN WILD" STORY

HOMEROOM:
FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS LETTER T COLORING PAGE
FALL WORD SEARCH
CUT AND PASTE HALLOWEEN ACTIVITY



CENTERS FOR THE WEEK OF OCT 7th-13th

CIRCLE TIME:
ALL ABOUT "JOHNNY APPLESEED" GUEST SPEAKER
APPLESEED STORY AND SHORT DISNEY VIDEO
ALL ABOUT APPLES 
INTRODUCTION TO LETTER Rr
LITTLE RED HEN FELT STORY

SONGS OF THE WEEK:
5 LITTLE APPLES
PATTY CAKE WITH LETTER L and RR
WHAT ANIMALS NEED TO DO IN THE COLD
JOHNNY A

MATH:
GREEN, RED AND YELLOW APPLE TASTING! 
COUNTING CROWS
BEAR COUNTING

LITERACY:
L FOR LEAVES 
ALPHABET GUESSING GAME
IDENTIFYING LETTERS TOSS AND FIND ACTIVITY

HOMEROOM:
STARTING OF SEMESTER ASSESMENTS 
JOHNNY APPLESEED COLORING PAGE
WIKI STIX FORMING LETTERS

SCIENCE:
"FLIP OVER FARM" MATCHING GAME
FALL TREES WITH FELT LEAVES

SOCIAL STUDIES:
COLORADO SYMBOLS BOOKLET CONT.
STATE FLAG, FLOWER, BUTTERFLY AND BIRD


CENTERS FOR THE WEEK OF SEPT 30th-OCT 4th

 CIRCLE TIME:
 WHAT HAPPENS DURING FALL?
 THE IMPORTANCE OF HIBERNATION FOR BEARS/SLEEP FOR US
 READ "BROWN BEAR WHAT DO YOU SEE" STORY
A BROWN BEARS WINTER POEM WITH COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
 "ARE YOU SLEEPING" BEAR LARGE GROUP ACTIVITY

SONGS OF THE WEEK: 
PATTY CAKE WITH LETTER Ll

"TEDDY BEAR TEDDY BEAR"
"10 LITTLE BEAR CUBS"
"A RECTANGLE HAS 4 SIDES"
"LEAVES"

DRAMATIC PLAY:
THE 3 LITTLE BEARS
FALL BAKING

MATH: BROWN BEAR CREPE PAPER COUNTING
OCTOBER "BIRTHDAYS"
WRITING NUMERALS TO 10

LITERACY: REVIEWING LETTERS M,S,F
FALL FOLLIES LEAF LETTER RECOGNITION

HOMEROOM:
 MAP, FIT, SUN SPELLING TEST
NEW WORDS LIST L=LOG
"FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS" LETTER Ll COLORING PAGE

SCIENCE: FARM ANIMALS SOUNDS (GAME)
 FARM ANIMAL CARDS

SOCIAL STIDIES: COLORADO STATE 
SYMBOLS BOOKLET





MUSIC: 10:40-11:10 THURSDAY OCT 3RD WITH MRS. MARY

LIBRARY: 10:30-11:00 FRIDAY OCT 4TH

Month of September

First of all we would like to say Thank You for a great start to the school year. We are heading into September with great confidence for our class and have many great activities planned for one of my favorite themes "Community Helpers." Also every couple of weeks I (Miss Porter) will have a Homeroom group during academics. We will focus on the basic letter recognition/Writing both Uppercase and Lowercase letters, cutting skills and name writing. Etc....

Every month our class will be conducting 1 or 2 very special friends to be
 "Student Of The Month" they will each receive a framed certificate to have for a keepsake.
 We will post the names of the students for each month so we all can be sure to acknowledge their achievement!!!

September Students of the Month:
1.) Esah
2.) Jayden

Centers for week of Sept 16th-20th

Dramatic Play:  
I am a "Vet"
I am a "Librarian"
I am a "Chef" 

Math:  
Slithering Snake math cube activity
Fluffy Clouds (counting with cotton balls)
Finger paint Circles (using our fingers and paint for grouping numbers)
Toss and Name shapes and numbers

Literacy: 
Word find with letters M, S, F
Shaving Cream letter recognition
Rounding up Rhymes small group activity

Homeroom:
Daily Name practice
Daily Oral Language (spelling) Words= MAP, FIT, SUN
"Following Instructions" Ff coloring page
Word Painting

Songs of the Week:
"Patty Cake" Letter review
" The Ants go Marching" (Large group number recognition)
" BINGO" review
" This Old Man" 1-10 review

Library: Friday 10:30-11:00

Centers for Week of Sept 23rd-27th ("Dream Week")

Dramatic Play:
I am a "Singer"
I am an "Astronaut" 
I am "President"
I am a "Baseball, Basketball/Football player"
I am a "Photographer" (Practice for our Class Picture Day)
I am.................

Math:
Alike or Different shapes activity,
"My Pattern" page to take home
Pick a Pattern blocks activity
Tape Shape
"More Peas Please!"

Literacy:
Snake for Ss Craft
Letter S Chant
Marshmallow Letters


Homeroom:
"10 Rays of SUNshine" pipe cleaner craft
D.O.L. (spelling) practice SUN
Name Writing
"Following instructions" Letter S coloring page
Spelling Review (All words)

Science:
Good hand washing activity
Color, Cut and Paste (in order to promote healthy hand washing)

Social Studies:
Safety and community 
signs around town
Richard Scary's book "What do People do all day?"

Songs of the Week:
"1,2 Buckle my Shoe"
"Ants Go Marching" review
"Old MacDonald" (Sounds Practice)

PICTURE DAY!!!!! Friday Sept 27th

Library: Friday 10:30-11:00


Also we ask that on your child's last day of the week please make sure to take home all bedding, pillows and water bottles to be washed!

(Please make sure to check your child's mailbox daily)

THEME: Community Helpers/Safety

LETTERS OF THE MONTH: M, S, F

MATH: Patterns, comparing, #5-8

SCIENCE: Teeth/Nutrition

SHAPE AND COLOR: Circle, Red


Monday: Literacy and Science, Homeroom

Tuesday: Math and Social Studies, Homeroom

Wednesday: Literacy, Science, Homeroom

Thursday: Homeroom, Social Studies, Morning Music

Friday: Fun Friday large group Activity/Craft, Morning Library



Ashli Porter = APorter@tpaak.org
Amy Ferrara = AFerrara@tpaak.org

May 13-17th, 2013

Graduation is upon us, May is flying right by! Keep an eye out for events this month, we have a lot of fun things to do. (Scroll down to see event dates and times)
Coming Up....

Graduation: Wednesday May 22nd at 6:00. Please bring your child by 5:45 so we can line up for the performance.

Memorial Day: No school on Monday May 27th in observance of Memorial Day

Art in the Park: May 29th. Booths will be set up in the parking lot mid morning into the afternoon. If you would like your child to participate in this you will need to pick them up and walk around with them outside. You can trade cash and checks for tickets to spend, this is a school fundraiser and is always super fun!

Field Day: Thursday May 30th. Please send your child with a waterbottle for this day. We will be outside for an hour or so and it will most likely be a hot day.
Monthly themes:

Animals
Social Studies: Africa
Science: Plants
Literacy: Letters U, E, and review
Math: Problem Solving
Shape and color: Octagon, black, and white

Weekly centers:

Movement: Simon Says
 Art: Flowers
Sensory: Silly Putty
Math: Geoboards
Building and fine motor: Geometric snap blocks

Academics at a glance:

Monday:
-Literacy: Introduction to the letter E
-Math: Following instructions, addition, subtraction
Tuesday:
Spanish and music
Wednesday: -Social Studies: African game-Mancala (this is a great game for counting, deduction, and fine motor skills. Students are here this day will make a Mancala game to take home with instructions. I encourage you to play this game with your child, we had a lot of fun playing it today!)
-Science: Lima bean sprouts
Thursday:
-Literacy: Writing the letter E
-Math: Following instructions, addition, subtraction
Friday:
show and tell and library


Show and tell Fridays: Draw a picture of your favorite PreK memory
Reminders: Please make sure your child's cubby has extra clothing (multiple pairs of underwear, socks, a shirt, and a pair of shorts or pants) and bring a water bottle every day. Please label all clothes and water bottles. Water bottles can be left and we ask that you take them home your child's last day of the week to rinse out.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact us in person or by e-mail. Have a wonderful week!

Chelsea Scheffer: cscheffer@tpaak.org
Jada Kankel: jkankel@tpaak.org
Shanda Schlagenhauf: sschlagenhauf@tpaak.org

April 29-May3, 2013

Yay for sunny days! We are excited to be out on our playground again since our snow storm. Last week we made some peanut butter bird feeders and hung them on a tree near our playground, we are hoping to spot some birds enjoying the snack. We will be planting some seeds this week, hopefully we will have some sprouts this spring.

Coming Up....

The whole preschool will be taking part of the silent auction for Art in the Park. This is a fundraiser for the classrooms and is a lot of fun. This event will be held on Wednesday May 29th and there will be game and food booths. We will not be able to bring the children out to the fair, but if you would like to come pick your child up to check it out for a bit you are welcome to.

The theme of our silent auction basket is "summer fun" Please bring items in by Friday May 3rd. There is no set list on what to bring, be creative! Some examples for our basket could be: outside games, pool toys, sunscreen, etc.

Monthly themes:

Spring
Social Studies: Australia
Science: Earth Day and recycling
Literacy: Letters A, O, I, and review
Math: Geometry and graphing
Shape and color: Oval and Purple

Weekly centers:

Movement: Target practice
 Art: 3-D sunflowers
Sensory: Sand
Math: Tesselations (I was not introduced to these fun patterns until middle school, the kids are having a lot of fun with them already!)
Building and fine motor: Geometric snap blocks
Academics at a glance:

Monday:
-Literacy: Review of letters A, O, and I and class alphabet book
-Math: Following instructions, addition, subtraction
Tuesday:
Spanish and music (Cinco de Mayo party!)
Wednesday: -Social Studies: Australia
-Science: Recycling
Thursday:
-Literacy: Review letters A, O, and I
-Math: Following instructions, addition, subtraction
Friday:
show and tell and library


Show and tell Fridays: Something that reminds you of spring

Reminders: Please make sure your child's cubby has extra clothing (multiple pairs of underwear, socks, a shirt, and a pair of shorts or pants) and bring a water bottle every day. Please label all clothes and water bottles. Water bottles can be left and we ask that you take them home your child's last day of the week to rinse out.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact us in person or by e-mail. Have a wonderful week!

Chelsea Scheffer: cscheffer@tpaak.org
Jada Kankel: jkankel@tpaak.org
Shanda Schlagenhauf: sschlagenhauf@tpaak.org

April 22-26, 2013

Just when I think we are in the clear it snows again! We are doing tons of movement inside when our playground is not suitable to use. We will be planting seeds within the next few weeks to study the parts of a plant. We are going to try to grow a variety of seeds and will all share in the reponsibility of taking care of our seeds and plants.
Coming Up....

There is nothing on the radar for this coming week. Class pictures and yearbooks should be coming home soon for those who ordered:)

Monthly themes:

Spring
Social Studies: Australia
Science: Earth Day and recycling
Literacy: Letters A, O, I, and review
Math: Geometry and graphing
Shape and color: Oval and Purple

Weekly centers:

Movement: Carpet exercises
 Art: Aboriginal dot art
Dramatic Play: Mathematicians (free play with calculators, rulers, protractors, and graph paper)
Literacy: Library (practice reading and looking at pictures with stuffed animals)
Math: Geoboards (these are really fun, they are square boards with pegs and the children use rubber bands to make lines and shapes on the pegs of the board)

Academics at a glance:

Monday:
-Literacy: Introduction of the letter I
-Math: Number matching
Tuesday:
Spanish and music
Wednesday: -Social Studies: Australia
-Science: Sink or float activity (making predictions and recording data)
Thursday:
-Literacy: Writing the letter I
-Math: Problem solving- reasoning
Friday:
show and tell and library


Show and tell Fridays: Something that starts with A, O, or I
Reminders: Please make sure your child's cubby has extra clothing (multiple pairs of underwear, socks, a shirt, and a pair of shorts or pants) and bring a water bottle every day. Please label all clothes and water bottles. Water bottles can be left and we ask that you take them home your child's last day of the week to rinse out.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact us in person or by e-mail. Have a wonderful week!

Chelsea Scheffer: cscheffer@tpaak.org
Jada Kankel: jkankel@tpaak.org
Shanda Schlagenhauf: sschlagenhauf@tpaak.org

Early Release and snow days!

As you all know we had an early release today, thank you all for being flexible! Remember to check the news stations in the morning on Tuesday to see if school is cancelled. If Poudre School district or T.R. Paul Academy is closed the preschool will be closed also. Have a great snowy day!