A Surprise Monday

To begin our wonderful week of special events planned, we started with "Surprise Monday". The Cardinals arrived enthusiastically anticipating the events of the day. As we welcomed and greeted each other, the children already began picking up on the clues of the first part of the day. Our counters were lined with a blender, frozen fruit, milk and yogurt and the children began asking, "Ooh, what are we making?" In looking at all the ingredients, they figured out that these items were key components to making smoothies and were delighted in being able to make their own snack! Smoothie making proved to be an exercise in measuring and mixing as the children took turns and cooperated in this activity. Each child eagerly used the blender and participated in the cooking process with pride and a sense of accomplishment as a delicious mixture was created.

Our morning flowed seamlessly as were invited to visit Jeanne's second grade to find out what they have been learning. The children in second grade have been studying Egypt and created many books and projects to share the information and research they have gathered. There was a wealth of information shared with the Cardinals as our children had the opportunity to discuss and look at all the creations of second grade. Our children became more curious about the different aspects of  Egypt as the second graders shared what they had learned about the culture of the country. This was a wonderful display of children teaching children and it was an ideal way to continue to strengthen our bonds with older peers in our community. As the Cardinals see the work of their older friends, they become aware of the possibilities for themselves as they continue to grow in acknowledging and using their own talents!

Our surprise morning continued as we arrived back at the classroom and enjoyed "switch time" with the Dove Class. We visited each other's classrooms and participated in interesting activities including Moon Sand and Shaving Cream (sensory fun at its finest!).

Tomorrow is Pajama Day! Come to school in your favorite pajamas...slippers welcome (Just be sure to have shoes for outdoor fun as well!)

Our Cardinals have become performers and are very busy practicing for our Spring Concert and Arts Day which is set to begin at 1:30 pm in the Muller Auditorium on Friday, June 7th. We are excited to share our talents in Music and Art with our families on this very special day. 

Wednesday News

This Wednesday...

Music Class 
Today's music class began with a special performance by the 4th graders who have begun preparing for the Lower School Winter Show. The big kids' dance was very impressive and we were sure to show our appreciation by clapping afterwards and even sharing some of our thoughts with them. Trace said, "You were really good!" Then we started our own class and the Cardinals were excited to hear that we would be learning a song to perform at the Winter Show too! Jason gave us the song as well as some fun hand motions which we will be working on from now until the show. We worked hard to do our best with the new music. We did so well that Jason asked if we would let him record us singing to be an example recording for all the other classrooms who will be learning this song! So we warmed up our best singing voices and did a great job. We were thrilled to listen to our very first Cardinals' singing recording!

Choice Time Invitations

Beading
We introduced beading today and the children were fully engaged in this fine motor activity.  Donny said" Look I put them all over it. I made mine cover the whole pipe cleaner." "I made one and Christina helped me make a butterfly" said Kate.  The children worked for extended periods of time practicing fine motor skills. The children looked at the different sizes of the beads and they especially liked looking at the different shapes of beads. We were reminded of the shape book we had been looking at and compared a few bead shapes to the pictures.  Children were curious about how may beads would fit on the pipe cleaner and they were interested in exploring ways to bend the pipe clearer to make beaded shapes.

Meeting For Worship
We gathered on the rug for Meeting For Worship this morning and the children setteled into silence with ease.  We lit a candle and listened to the story If Peace is... by Jane Baskwill. The children are learning to appreciate quiet moments together and we are all feeling a warm sense of community during this shared time together. Respect and thoughtfulness towards to each other and our Cardinal community continues to evolve.

Building
Building continues to be an interest in our classroom. The children engaged with the big wooden blocks creating an elaborate house structure today. They began adding details to set the scene, picking out different wooden tree pieces to create a front yard and back yard to the house. Magna tiles also are a strong material and support in our building study. The children are becoming more focused in creating height to the structures created with these magnetic tile blocks. This helps to strengthen their fine motor skills while also allowing the children the opportunity to identify different parts, rooms, and other pieces of a building.

Making and Manipulating Dough
Another center attracting many children was the dough center. Today, we began this activity by looking at a recipe to identify the materials and tools we would need to mix up to make this tactile mixture. The Cardinals experienced number identification and measuring as they determined how much of each ingredient and then proceeded to scoop and pour them into a large bowl. We used flour, warm water, and salt to make a moldable dough. After a few minutes of stirring and working the dough with our hands, it was ready to be used for sculpting. The children then eagerly used their palms and hands to figure out what it felt like. Children created food, animals, or even worked at making a mold of their hands as they pressed into the dough. It was interesting to see how engaging this material was and see the different ways that the children approached it in their play.

Our Morning ended with exploration of our outdoor area. The children continue to engage in each area, establishing deeper connections with friends and even branching out to introduce themselves to new friends. Today, a small group of friends from the Cardinal Class began a game of hide and seek with each other. It was a wonderful way to close our morning time together.