Two Weeks with Our Explorers!

Dear Parents,

We hope you and your family are doing well! We are very happy to share the wonderful moments and learning experiences your children have had in our classroom. Over the past two weeks, our little ones have been growing, exploring, and discovering new things each day. Thank you for your continued support and partnership. We truly appreciate the trust you place in us as we care for and guide your children.

Large Group

Large Group time has been going wonderfully over the past two weeks, and it continues to be an important part of our daily routine. We begin by singing our “Good Morning” song, which helps the children start the day with joy and connection. After that, we give the children the opportunity to choose a music song, and they were very excited to pick “baba black sheep” and “Baby Shark”. During singing time, they listen well and follow directions with enthusiasm.

We then move on to attendance. Each child sticks their picture on the happy face board and receives a high five from the teacher. Together, we count how many friends are here and how many are not here. This week, we added more numbers to our counting practice, going up to 15. The children were very excited and enjoyed counting using the number sticks.

After counting, we read a storybook, and the children listen attentively and enjoy the story. Next, we collect our pillows and place them in one corner, then we dance along to a short music. The children love this part and move happily with the music. We follow this with a water break, where the children practice sharing by passing their water bottles to friends. After drinking, they put their bottles back in the box and return the pillows to their spots. At the end of our Large Group, our class teddy bear gives each child a “good job” hug, and the children are always very happy and excited to receive it.

Gymnastics

During our gymnastics class this week, the children got active! We prepared an outdoor activity by setting up chairs, a bathtub filled with water, and colorful balls for a fun “ball hunting” game using their feet. First, we explained and demonstrated to the children how to pick up the balls with their feet. They were very eager to try, and many of them took off their shoes and socks by themselves to get ready. As the activity began, the children practiced picking up the balls with their feet, and some also used their hands or a spoon to scoop the balls. They were very enthusiastic and enjoyed exploring different ways to complete the task. It was wonderful to see them helping each other and celebrating each other’s success. The children had a great time, showed strong participation, and were excited throughout the gymnastics session.

Literacy and Language

Over the past two weeks, our Literacy and Language sessions have been engaging and informative. We prepared a calm and inviting outdoor reading area on the grass by setting up mats, pillows, and choosing one special book for story time. After gathering the children, we guided them to sit comfortably on the pillows and began with a soft song to help everyone settle and get ready for listening. This week, we read “That’s Not My Chair,” and the children were very excited and engaged.

They listened to the story attentively and showed great interest in the pictures. During the reading, we asked questions such as “what color do you see?” and “how many chairs can you find?”. The children responded with enthusiasm and enjoyed sharing their answers. Through this activity, the children practiced important skills such as building new vocabulary, listening and understanding spoken language, and beginning early reading behaviors. Overall, they did a wonderful job participating and showed strong interest in our literacy and language sessions.

Art

Our recent art session was a messy delight! We prepared different colors of paper and colored paints for hand stamping. Before starting, we showed the children their hands and talked about how many fingers they have. Together, we counted their fingers, encouraging them to use their own words and participate in the conversation. After our discussion, each child had the chance to choose their favorite color of paper and paint. They dipped their hands into the paint and stamped their handprints onto the paper. The children were very excited to see their colorful prints and enjoyed the creative process. Once they finished stamping, the children washed their hands by themselves and helped with cleaning up the materials. Overall, this art session supported creativity, counting, color recognition, and independence, and the children did a wonderful job.

Science

Our science session went wonderfully, and the children were very excited to explore and experiment. For this activity, we dyed rice using food color. First, we placed rice on a plate for each child, then prepared different food colors for them to choose from. The children selected their favorite colors and began mixing the rice with their hands. They enjoyed the sensory experience and worked together, helping each other as they mixed. Throughout the activity, the children observed cause and effect noticing how the white rice changed color when the paint was added. Many of them proudly announced the colors they created, saying, “now this is red!” or “this is blue!”. Their enthusiasm even led them to request more color as they continued exploring.

Math

During the last two weeks in math, our class has been focused on counting and matching. In order to make this more hands-on and memorable, we used colorful cups and cornflakes to support their learning. First, we explained how to count the pieces and match them to the correct colored cups. Each child received four different colored cups and a plate of cornflakes in various colors. The children began counting the cornflakes and matching each piece to the cup with the same color. They were very engaged, focused, and proud of their work.

At the end, many children asked if they could taste the cornflakes, and they enjoyed eating a few after completing their activity. They also helped their friends who needed support and worked together cooperatively. After finishing, the children cleaned up their materials and returned everything to the proper place. Overall, the session was a great success and helped the children practice counting, color recognition, matching, and teamwork.

Our schedule for next week:

Monday – Library

Tuesday – Gymnastics

Wednesday – Literacy

Thursday – Science

Friday – Math

Our specials:

Wednesday- Art

Tuesday- Music and movement

Friday- Ethiopian Center

Reminders:

• Every Wednesday is art day, so please send your child with art appropriate clothing.

• Every Monday is library day,  so we will be sending a book that your child picked from our library, which will be returned after a week on library day.

  
  

Have a nice weekend!