ALL ABOUT SNOW!

Dear Parents,

We started our week by creating clay snow people for our snow globes. The children rolled three balls of Sculpey clay and placed them on top of one another. Then, we baked them in the oven until they hardened.  After the snow people cooled off, the children decorated them with sharpies and stuck them into the bottom of the container with sticky tape.  Then we added water, glitter, and fake snow.  Finally, we tightly closed the container, whirled it around, and watched our snow globe come to life.  The results were amazing

On Tuesday, we started a winter pattern activity that involved both problem solving and fine motor skills.  First, the children had to figure out what winter object came next in the pattern. Once they found out what picture came next, they cut out the picture and glued it to the end of the pattern. 

We practiced addition by using a ten-frame on the magnet board using red and blue circles.  The children filled the top row with red circles, added them up, and then wrote down the correct number.  They did the same with the second row and then added them all together.  

In addition, the children identified a number and then stamped that amount on to the ten frame.   For example, for the number three, we colored in the three blocks with the stamp.

In Ms. Lisa's class, the children started by rolling a ball back and forth to their classmates.  Rolling the ball helps the children regain focus, taking turns, and keeping the beat.  The children sang "Koo Koo Where are You?" while passing the ball.  Then, Lisa played the drum while the children marched to the beat in a circle.  The children also sang the Muffin Man, the Little White Duck, and the Eensie Weensie Spider.

On Wednesday, we practiced our cutting skills by making snowflakes.  The children then painted them using droppers and water colors.  They finished them off with a little glitter.

Notes from Peishuan:

We looked at the globe found Massachusetts and we also found China and Taiwan at the other side. When we are day time here, China is night time. 

We learned 2 ways to read Chinese characters, one is from left to right just like reading English. 

One is from top to bottom, right to left.

Tea party~~

Ms Peishuan invited kids to come to her house. When she saw the kids by her door she said, " 請進  Qǐng jìn" please come in. "請坐Qǐng zuò " please sit down. " 請喝茶Qǐng hē chá " Please have a cup of tea."

請 Qǐng This word means "Please" and you always put it at the beginning of the sentences in Chinese.

 

~ Peishuan

Other areas of interest in the classroom:

The highlight of the week was when we made delicious strawberry ice cream to celebrate filling our gem jar. The children had so much fun making it and eating it as well.   First the children cut up the strawberries and then we pureed them in the blender.  Next, we added milk, cream, and a little sugar.  We then put it in an ice cream maker and waited 20 minutes.  It was so delicious! 

Love,
Ms. Bonne and Ms. Denise