Rumney Preschool
Ms. Murray's Classes
Happy October! Announcements:
Wow, it certainly feels like fall! The kids are enjoying every second of this nice, crisp weather we’ve had. Sending in warm layers that are easily taken on and off will be very helpful to your child. This week we did many things, one being Pete the Cat. We read two Pete stories: I Love My White Shoes and His Four Groovy Buttons. We read them a few times, and then listened to the stories via audio while looking at the books. Both classes enjoyed making their very own Pete the Cat. Some opted to take them home, while some wanted to hang them up in the classroom. For the Pete activity, I cut out what was needed and they glued them on. I support process over product, meaning that I do not want or expect everyone’s project to look exactly the same. Having everything look the same does not express creativity, and it’s quite boring! Everyone got the same materials for their Pete (body, legs, head, eyes, ears, tail), shoes, but the way they did it was completely unique to each child. Some got a little frustrated that theirs did not “look like” Pete, but I reassured them that theirs was amazing and showed their artistic skills! We had a TON of fun dressing up this week in the dramatic play. Everyone enjoyed swapping out different things and putting food in bags to carry around! So many friends wanted to see how many hats or tails they could put on. What a fantastic way to express themselves! On Monday we made play doh. They all sat around a big orange bowl and each of them got to dump in an ingredient. Everyone got turns mixing it all up and were very safe when I was pouring hot water in. They got to take some home in a little bag. We will make more play doh with both classes throughout the school year, some to take home and some to keep and use in our classroom. It’s a great activity because it gives them real life skills such as measuring. They also get to enjoy using it at home or school and be proud of something they did. On Monday & Tuesday, some friends really enjoyed letting the big trucks go down the slide. They worked together so no one got hurt, and let other kids go by that wanted to go down the slide. They loved watching the trucks crash into a big pile at the bottom! On Wednesday, a 2nd grade student’s family brought in their apple press. It was a very exciting experience! We gathered apples and washed them. After that, we went outside to watch Ms. Babcock and the second graders try the apple press. Everyone waited and watched with awe! After the second graders were done, we got to have some turns. It was a really tall machine, so I had to pick them up to drop the apples in. They also got to turn the giant crank! On Thursday we had a fire drill. We practiced exactly what we do: Stop and look at me, get in a line (or what a “line” is for preschoolers!), and walk outside. The noise was a little loud, but they all did fantastic! We all clapped for each other once we got back inside. Ask your child: Did you dress up in the classroom this week? What did you wear? Did any of your friends dress up? (Bonus ask your child for Wed/Thurs class): Did you have a fire drill at school? What do you have to do during a fire drill? I hope you all have a great weekend! Deanna
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Hi Pre-K Families! Announcements:
We had a fun time exploring blueberries this week! Here are some of the highlights:
Outside this week was a little hot and sticky, but we had so much fun! They have been enjoying playing with the alligator seesaw and the trucks on the playground. Swinging has also become very popular, especially the red swing! They have been working on waiting their turns and hearing common language like: “____ is using the swing. When they are done, you can use it.” Using “when I’m/they are done, you can use it” is a phrase we use inside and outside to promote healthy wait times. We used donated farm foam stickers this week and they were a big hit! They were practicing peeling the back of the stickers off, which is great for their fine motor skills. We liked to count how many cow or pig stickers each child had, or how many barns were on their farm. It promoted great conversations using math terms! In both classes, we have been discussing our daily schedule and have been using “first, then” terms. For example: First, we will have morning meeting and then we will have snack.” On a strip of velcro under the big window is where our daily schedule is. It is at child height so they can see it and we have been taking off each schedule piece after finishing an activity, like morning meeting. Dress up clothes in the dramatic play have been introduced! On Thursday, the kids enjoyed using the dress up clothes. They were mail carriers, mermaids, construction workers, and a bunch of different animals! They had a fantastic time looking at themselves in their mirror after dressing up in different outfits. Please know that all dress up clothing and accessories are cleaned very frequently. That also goes for more materials in the classroom as well! Ask Your Child: What was your favorite thing you did with blueberries this week? Have a great weekend! Deanna Hi Pre-K Families! Announcements:
Another great weeks in the books! Watching the children making these lasting connections is such a special and wonderful part of my job. Many of you have met her this week, but I am happy to announce that we have a new permanent Pre-K assistant! Her name is Crystal. Crystal lives in South Barre has been a babysitter to two children for many years and is now excited to come to a classroom! The children and I have enjoyed getting to know her this week and we look forward to having her become a part of our pre-k classroom community :) On the playground this week, we took out the big trucks from the shed. Each class had so much fun digging and pushing them around as fast as they could! While many kids on Monday & Tuesday played with trucks, a few others were creating ice cream from the sandbox and serving them to everyone and asking for mulch “payment” in return. In both classes, I watched kids want to use trucks that other kids were using. I guided them through this process, as this can be tricky! I want to make sure kids have ownership of the item that they use. If someone asks to use something (in this instance, a truck), I don’t expect the child using it to give it up right away — they are still using it and having fun! The phrase I encourage the children to say is: When I’m done, you can use it. Saying this lets them finish their turn, and also gives a timeline for the child waiting. A good plan that we set into action is to get a sand timer, so it is a visual representation of when the child’s turn will be done. It is helpful for both kids! If your child is playing with other kids outside of school, it would be great to encourage them to use When I’m done, you can use it. On Monday, there were many helpers! In the morning, we used the mat to jump and roll on which was a lot of fun. When we cleaned up for morning meeting, a few kids worked together to fold up the mat and carry it over to put it away. It is not an easy thing to move, so they were very proud of themselves! On Tuesday, the MT class picked the last of the blueberries from the bushes near the entrance to the woods. We went outside 5 kids at a time. Going out 5 kids at a time, while the other 5 stayed with Crystal, was a little tricky for some! For many, this is your child’s first school experience, and I am the face of that. It can be hard when I leave the classroom! I always let them know that I will be right back. On Wednesday, it was raining on and off all day. I have a class set of Muddy Buddy rain suits that we used! It was fun to watch them zoom down the slide in their suits. They enjoyed running around and having fun without getting wet. On Wednesday and Thursday, we explored different ways to use paint. On Wednesday, they drove cars through the paint and then helped them wash the cars after. On Thursday, a few friends were interested in mixing red and yellow together to make orange and then paint a pumpkin picture with their hands! There are a TON of pictures this week!!! Please enjoy them! Ask Your Child: Monday/Tuesday class: Did you pick blueberries this week? What friends went with you? Was the walk far to where the blueberry bushes were? Wednesday/Thursday class: Did you take a walk around the outside of the school? Did you see the big rocks at the rock garden and run on the tennis courts? Did you see a picture of a cow outside? Have a great weekend with your wonderful children, Deanna Hi Pre-K Families! Announcements:
Another fun week in the books! Both classes enjoyed a great deal of time outside exploring. On Tuesday, many kids made ice cream out of sand, dirt, rocks, and apples. Then they took the ice cream to the house on our playground to sell it out of the window. On Wednesday and Thursday, we played hide and seek so many times I lost count! Each child was excited to be a hider and a seeker. On Tuesday, the kids enjoyed playing with play doh with fun mats that have pictures on them. They also used scissors to cut the play doh. Some of the older kids taught some of the younger kids how to roll the play doh between their hands or on the table to make a ball. A fun book we read this week was called One Stuck Duck by Phyllis Root — it is one of my favorites. It is about a duck who gets stuck in the muck and a slew of other animals try to help the duck get out of the muck. It is a counting book so it starts with two fish try to help, then three moose, etc. I printed out pictures of all the animals that help the duck and each child got to hold one and wave it around when it was their turn! On Tuesday, the children enjoyed acting out the story after we read it. On Wednesday, we counted all the animals to “make sure” we had the right number each time. After lunch time on Tuesday and Wednesday, I showed the kids some oobleck that I made. Oobleck is a mixture of corn starch and water that is a non-Newtonian fluid! It acts as a liquid and a solid. I mixed some cocoa powder with the oobleck to make it a nice light brown color. For the remainder of the afternoon, the kids played with our small animals getting them “stuck in the muck,” just like the duck! There are a lot of fun pictures in the slideshow at the end of the blog showing this! Oobleck is very fun and easy thing to make at home. On Thursday, we read a book called Silly Sally by Audrey Wood. (I will be reading this to the MT class next week). It is about a silly woman named Sally who walks to town backwards and upside down. Each child posed for a picture and we printed them out. I cut them out and the kids arranged and glued themselves as a silly, upside down, and backwards person walking to town on some black construction paper! It was a fun activity to do all together. We are spending more time getting to know one another at different parts during the day. This has prompted them to start asking things about each other, which is really sweet to see! I overheard a conversation on Thursday between a few friends asking who has dogs or babies at their house. It is great to witness them learning about their peers who they will be going to school with for quite some time! At the end of our preschool day, we have a closing circle. At our closing circle, we share our favorite part of the day. It gives me a little insight on what specific things each child likes, so I can make sure I keep doing those things! We also have been doing some songs, such as Here is the Beehive and One Little Finger. If you play these songs for them, they will be able to teach you the hand/finger movements! Ask Your Child: Did you read a book about a duck this week? What happened to the duck? Ms. Murray said each child got to hold a picture of an animal from the book, do you remember which one you had? Did the duck get unstuck at the end of the story? Enjoy your weekend, Deanna |
Welcome!Hello and welcome to the Rumney Preschool blog for Ms. Murray's classes! You will find information about what we do every day in preschool along with important announcements. *Photos on the Blog*
If you would like family members to see pictures of your child playing at school, please email me and I will add them to my weekly email list. These photos are not permitted to be posted on social media. Thank you! Archives
June 2023
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