We learned the Sid Shuffle. Sid is a character from Ice Age and there is a video on You Tube that taught us how to do it. We (myself included) had fun learning it. We also danced along with the Kinect and a new game I bought last week, Just Dance for Kids. It is awesome. We all danced for about 30 minutes straight to perfectly appropriate songs like the Hokey Pokey, Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, etc. It also plays the songs in multiple languages. We heard Spanish, French, and German. It was a fun way to get some gross motor activity on a rainy day.
This week we focused on alot of fall activites and the changes we see all around us. It's getting cooler, the leaves are changing colors and fall off the trees. We had some friends bring in fall leaves they had found to create a fall leaf collection for our classroom. We sang songs about fall, and read lots of fall books.
We used our fine motor skills and got lots of cutting practice to make the leaves for another fall tree art project.
I had asked this week for your child's favorite food labels. We made a picture of them for us to hang in the classroom.
Participation from parents in bringing things to school is important. No child wants to be left out, and I heard lots of "Where is mine?" and "You forgot me!" If I ever request something you cannot provide, let me know and I can always help out. I am still missing quite a few family pictures...please bring those so we can add them to our family collage.
We had a busy, fun week, and will continue our fall unit next week as well.
I thought I would take a moment to clarify a Facebook posting yeaterday about our classroom guidelines ("rules") and expectations. I want all of us to be on the same page and to know what your child is expected to do each day. Our main focus is to be safe. The children know my job is to keep them safe. We discuss that daily. When they engage in dangerous behavior, we reinforce how we must stay safe at school and make choices to keep us safe. That is first and foremost. The posted classrooom rules are so that we can all enjoy our day and learn and play and have fun. They are simple and basic, and not beyond the capability of a three or four year old.
1. WE HAVE NICE HANDS AND FEET
This is part of being safe. It is also learning self control and respecting our friends.
2. WE HAVE LISTENING EARS
We really utilize this most of all in group time. When Miss Beth is reading a story, or teaching, we have listening ears. Group time has lots of opportunities for discussion and participation from everyone, but there are times when we need to just listen. Periodically throughout the day when I am giving instructions, I also remind the class to use their listening ears.
3. WE HAVE INSIDE VOICES
This is not a library. IF anyone expects a preschool classroom to be quiet and serene they are so far off. We are learning, interacting, discovering, singing, chanting, pretending...it's all very exciting and energetic. But there is a difference between normal active play and screaming. This year, one of the most difficult times of day when we have been having to be reminded about inside voices in meal times.
4. WE TAKE CARE OF OUR TOYS
Pretty self-explanatory. Our toys are how we learn. We use them constantly, in many different ways. We need to take care of them. We do not write on them, put them in our mouths, throw them, rip the pages on our books, etc.
5. WE ARE KIND TO OUR FRIENDS
(This goes along with number one.)
We use kind words-
lately I have been hearing "butthead", "idiot", "stupid", "buttcrack" and lots more. Those are not kind words. They hurt feelings and can affect our growing confidence and self esteem. "You are not my friend" is typical at this age, but each time a child says it, we talk about how that makes the other feel. Sadly, hurtful language is not intrinsic, it is learned. We go over using kind and appropriate words to get what we want constantly, and have come so far since the beginning of the year, but it will be ongoing all year.
We do not touch our friends. We may not grab, hit, shove or push. Even if we are trying to have fun, someone could get hurt.
We respect each other's space and work. It is not okay to knock down a block tower or tell someone their painting is ugly. We are learning to be respectful adults, and it's never too early to start.
I do have to say, I am not a tattle tale. Things that happen throughout the day are my responsibility to take care of. I will rarely "unload" on a parent how challenging their child's day has been, unless it is an ongoing problem that I feel we need to work together to change. Yesterday's post on Facebook was just an opportinity for me to recruit parents' help to remind the children of how we should act at school. There was no hidden meaning, or specific child I was trying to pinpoint. I apologize if anyone took my intentions any differently.
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