Friday, January 29, 2010 Letter of the Week:
B
On Monday, we talked about the holiday of Tu B'Shevat, the birthday of the trees. We read The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. This book tells about a young boy, who ages to become an old man, and an apple tree. The tree gives him its branches on which to swing, shade, apples to eat, branches with which to build a home, its trunk to be used to build a boat, and its stump to sit and rest upon. For our art project, the children painted a baobob tree using Q-tips and cotton balls. The baobob tree is called the Tree of Life because it provides shelter, food, and water for animals and humans in Africa. This tree has been featured in "Lion King" productions. It looks like it has its roots sticking up in the air. For most of the year, the baobob tree is leafless.
On Tuesday, we read Jody's Beans by Malachy Doyle. In this book, Jody learns how to plant and care for runner bean seeds. We learn that the seeds need water, sunlight, and rich soil to grow. After much care, the plants grew bright red flowers and green beans. For our letter B art project, the children decorated the letter B with a boa constrictor. The children learned these letter B words: bubbles, book, ball, bunny, bicycle, ballerina, banana, balloon, bear, butterfly, bird, bumble bee, baseball, bat, boy, blue, black, and brown.
On Wednesday, the children, in the journal group, colored mittens and a winter poem. The children, in the story group, read The Snowman Storybook by Raymond Briggs. This book is about a young boy who dreams that a snowman has come to life. In yoga, Miss Kim began the class with yoga breathing and asked the children to name a place that they would like to visit. The boys and girls played "Red Light, Yoga Light". During the game, one of the children said,"This is actually fun!" The children took an imaginary yoga trip to the ocean.
On Thursday, we read Look Closer, by Brian and Rebecca Wildsmith, to identify some common bugs. We also read A Tree is Nice by Janice May Udry. This book tells many of the reasons why a tree is nice. Trees are nice because they fill up the sky, they make the woods, they have leaves, a trunk, and limbs, and trees are nice to hang a swing in. For our letter B art project, the boys and girls made bugs.
On Friday, we read Sammy Spider's First Tu B'Shevat by Sylvia A. Rouss. Sammy Spider watches Mr. Shapiro and Josh plant a new tree in the spring. As the seasons pass, the tree grows and changes. For our project, the boys and girls planted parsley seeds for Passover, and hopefully, they will see their plant's growth very soon. The children learned that plants need to be watered and kept on a sunny windowsill so they will have a successful growth.
*Thank you to Jonah L., Julian, Lane, Lila, and Lily for being our super "kids of the day" this week.
*The Playschool will be closed on Monday, February 15 for President's Day.
*Our annual Purim Carnival will be held on Sunday, February 21 from 11 AM -1 PM. Games, prizes, face-painting, food, music, and more!
*On Thursday, February 25, we will have our classroom Purim Parade from 11:30 - 12:30. Parents should plan to attend. All children are invited to participate even if Thursday is not their day to attend the Playschool. Please pack a costume for your child to wear and let us know what you will be bringing for the luncheon. Sign-up sheets are on our classroom door. There will be NO Afterschool Arts following our Purim Parade and Luncheon.
*When the Philadelphia Schools are closed because of inclement weather, the Playschool will also be closed. This information can be found on the TV, radio, or on the School District of Philadelphia's website.
*Next week, we will learn about letter V and Purim.
*Have a great weekend!
Miss Gloria, Miss Allison, Miss Sophie, Miss Mindy and Mr. Noah
