April 2015
The children have really been enjoying their developing friendships and stretching their imaginations. We’ve been watching for signs of spring and exploring our five senses. The children really enjoy sharing their ideas at circle time and practicing writing. They have all grown so much since the beginning of the school year!
Please continue to send boots and snow pants (or rain pants) with your child. With the weather warming up we’ll continue to go out every day and our playground can be muddy. A second outdoor layer protects pants and allows children to comfortably sit on the ground and dig in the sandbox.
Thanks to everyone for turning in next year’s registration forms. You’ll get a confirmation letter in your cubby by the end of the week. Let me know if you have any questions. April is a short month, but we have a lot going on!
With the longer days and warmer weather I always feel like it’s a good time to remind families of the importance of sleep for young children. As spring activities pick up it’s easy to forget how much better we all feel when we get enough sleep – and how much more smoothly things go.
Fundraising: We’re collecting clothing for our Gemm Shop fundraiser this month and our rummage sale will be the end of the school year. Bring in the results of your spring cleaning to benefit TCNS!
Important dates:
Parent meeting will be Wednesday April 15th at 6 pm with pizza
Scholastic orders are due by Friday April 17th
Parent-teacher conferences will be April 27th and 28th. We hope every family will sign up for a conference. If the days set aside aren’t convenient we can schedule for another time, or on your parent helper day. It’s important that we get the opportunity to meet with families and share our observations about your wonderful children. Watch for details to sign up for conference spot. We may try an online sign-up to see how it works out.
Preschool Activities: This month we’ll continue talking about spring, as well as birds, eggs and farm animals at the end of the month. We’ll be reading reading Minerva Louse and the Colorful Eggs by Janet Morgan Stoeke, Everything Spring by Jill Esbaum, Ruby in Her Own Time by Jonathon Emmett, Giggle, Giggle, Quack by Doreen Cronin, and Stuck in the Mud by Jane Clark. We’ll decorate eggs, make handprint ducks, a forsythia collage, and spring tree pictures. We will also make our own pizza snack at the end of the month. We’re still working on arranging a couple of walking fieldtrips this month. Details to follow.
Terrific Twos: Welcome spring! Or rather, welcome mud! In our classroom, we will create spring! We will dive into spring books: It’s Spring!, The Golden Egg, Home For A Bunny, Little Chicks Mothers And All Others. Look for rainbows, buds on trees, seeds sprouting, robins, worms and sunshine. And outside we will search for all these and more. Remember, boots and snow pants still keep our little bodies clean on our playground.
Fine Motor Skill Activities: below are some fun ideas to help improve fine motor strength and control without the pressure of “writing”
Play with chopsticks, tweezers & mini-tongs. Try picking up and moving small items. Increase difficulty by dropping items in a jar with a small opening.
Play with eye-droppers, basters & small sprayers
Beading, lacing, sewing, weaving
Play with nuts & bolts
Scratch art, etching, rubbings, tracing, mazes
Use spring clothespins to hang up clothes or pick up objects
Play with dough & clay. Encourage your child to roll small balls between thumb & finger
Knead dough, roll meatballs, decorate cookies – spread sprinkles by pinching between fingers
Draw, paint & write on vertical surfaces to increase wrist and shoulder strength
Five little duckies went swimming one day, over the pond and far away
Mama duck said, “Quack, quack, quack!”
But only four little duckies came back.
Four little duckies went swimming one day….
Three little duckies….
Two little duckies…
One little ducky went swimming one day, over the pond and far away
Daddy duck said, “QUACK, QUACK, QUACK!”
And all five little duckies came swimming right back.
