Our group work today was color mixing.  The children used markers to color filter paper and pippettes to sprinkle water on their coloring.  They were able to see the water spread and mix the colors on the filter paper.  We mixed red and yellow for warm orange leaves and yellow and blue to make cool green leaves.  They look beautiful in our classroom!

We will be celebrating Halloween at school on Thursday, Octotber 28th.  Please send your child to school in a halloween shirt or halloween colors.  The school will not be doing the annual parade so please no costumes.  We will have some yummy treats and play some games to celebrate the day.

Please send in a new set of spare clothes if your child's current set of spare clothes is not warm enough for fall or winter.  We will send home what is currently here once we have your new set.  Friendly reminder that a notice did go home last week regarding flu vaccination.  Please send your vaccination confirmation in to the school nurse as soon as possible.

We finished our apple study with a lovely tasting of Granny Smith apples.  We used a spiralizer on the apples so we could examine the apple skin, core and flesh.  It was a delicious end to a fruitful study!

October 4th was the feast of St. Francis of Assisi.  In his honor, we read the story of St. Francis of Assisi and the Wolf of Gubbio from the book Sitting Like a Saint, Catholic Mindfulness for Kids.  On circle, the children tensed different parts of the body like the mean wolf in the story, then relaxed by slowly exhaling.  This exercise helps the children to know the names of the different parts of the body as well as reminds them that they are always in control of their body and capable of calming themselves.

This month we are painting!  Please make sure that you send your children in play clothes.  Spills happen.  The child size sweep and dustpan are available to the children if they need to clean up.  Being able to clean your own workspace helps one to feel ownership in the classroom.  When the child feels empowered and supported he or she is more likely to make good choices on how to spend their time during the work period.     

    

We have been so busy in the classroom!   Your amazing 3 year olds are already walking up to the classroom alone from the entrance door!  Mrs. DePasquale and myself are very impressed with this independent group.  All the children have been very good about letting us know when they need the bathroom and wearing their masks.  Please continue to send your children in with appropriately fitted masks.

We have been learning songs on circle for the days of the week and months of the year.  Also during calendar time we count the days of the month together, usually with movements like clapping or jumping.  Please count everything at home with your child and if possible incorporate movement like counting the steps while climbing stairs.  We are also singing songs about apples which incorporate parts of the body and colors. 

As a group we have gone over several classroom behaviors for example how to walk in the classroom, move a chair safely and rolling and unrolling a work rug.  These lessons are accompanied with gentle reminders afterwards.  The children are encouraged to choose activites that interests them and return activity trays back to the shelf as they found them.

Right now our practical life shelves include activities to develop fine motor skills.  The children can choose from grasping, dry pouring, clothespins, container opening and closing and hammering golf tees into clay.  The art area has simple cutting paper for scissor practice and glueing the parts of the tree together.

Language area has a tracing practice and a picture matching work.  Math area includes the sanpaper numbers and two counting objects activities.  The sensorial area, helps the children to recognize order.  There are several activities to stack or line up objects according to size or weight.

We had such a busy Thursday last week with the fire drill and birthday walk!  We did discuss the fire drill beforehand.  The loud noise is very jarring.  We explained that it would be very loud in case anyone is sleeping.  The children are still learning to stay in line but they did fabulous for the fire drill!  At snack time, we had the birthday walk for Giancarlo and Michael!  The boys held our classroom globe and walked three times around the months of the year cards which were placed on the floor in a circle.  The class enjoyed a shared snack and sang happy birthday to the boys.  Happy birthday again Giancarlo and Michael!  Please remember when packing a snack for snack time, it should be something your child can eat in less than 10 minutes.