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What We Did In MARCH!
We participated in fun activities this month like we often do! We further explored loose parts and incorporated some new activities that follow our Emilia Reggio philosophy. We continue to observe the children and learn more about their interests and needs. Our classroom has been more open and freer than ever before. Sometimes we close certain areas during opening and closing times, but once the children transition into their classrooms the Sealife children have an awesome time exploring freely. We often have circle time in the morning’s right before snack but then quickly jump into activities/projects soon thereafter.
We want our Sealife friends to make wonderful choices on their own. Mr. Frankie & Miss Yeretzi will occasionally put out creative items on the tables for the children to explore, but they are always welcome to bring out other items as well. While doing this our friends are learning A LOT! They are learning to make choices, explore, and the responsibility of cleaning up after themselves.
This upcoming month we will be discussing “Problem Solving” with our Sealife friends. As most of you know, this has been a “work in progress” in our Sealife classroom. Mr. Frankie and Miss Yeretzi will continue to promote and provide opportunities for critical thinking. We will be discussing the four steps to problem solving: 1) Identify the problem. 2) Brainstorm a variety of solutions. 3) Choose one solution and try it out. 4) Evaluate what has happened. What worked? What didn’t work? What could you have done differently?
Please let Mr. Frankie & Miss Yeretzi know if your child will be leaving Gluck this year to begin T-K or Kindergarten. Also, an estimate on their last day would help us tremendously as we prepare for our graduation celebration.
During Small Group Time…
We have been doing an amazing job during our small group time! Our Sealife friends are always eager to learn new things, which is wonderful. Please do not forget to ask your child what they did each day. We try our best to post our daily activities, but sometimes we may post information a little late, so please continue to ask your child about their day.
In addition, our students are continuing to learn the alphabet during circle time. Mr. Frankie and Miss Yeretzi will often introduce a new letter each week and encourage the children to share words beginning with the letter of the week. Our Sealife friends are very bright and are always eager to share their ideas. Our main goal for the classroom is for our students to master self-help skills and to follow directions given by their teachers, while still being able to express themselves through the choices they make.
Sealife Projects/Activities…
Watercolor (Easter Bunny)- Painting with young children not only helps their creative development but it also stimulates their brain. The right side of the brain is used for emotional and creative responses, while the left side of the brain focuses on analytical processes and logic. Learning to paint benefits children by using both sides of their brain. Aside from that, there’s also other benefits of exposing children to watercolor painting.
Here are a few examples:
1. Sharpen fine motor skills – From broad backgrounds to fine details, practicing painting improves hand-eye coordination and boosts motor skills.
2. Therapeutic and contraction experience – Painting can be therapeutic because it allows the mind to focus on the images at hand and on nothing else.
3. Non-verbal communication skills – Through the use of different colors, children can express themselves without the use of words.
4. Self-confidence – Children need to work with other children and adults while they’re learning to paint. This interaction will boost their confidence, and also give them social skills to help them in other aspects of life.
Shamrock Shakes- To celebrate St. Patrick’s Day our Sealife friends made shamrock shakes! Yummy! We used vanilla ice cream, peppermint extract, green food coloring, milk, green sprinkles, whipped cream, chocolate syrup and cherries to make our delicious treats. We have posted pictures on our classroom door for family and friends to enjoy.
Shamrock Collages- Monochromatic (one-color) collages and collections bring that same sense of wonder to children as they explore the world around them through art. By narrowing the focus to a single color, these engaging activities offer a unique and fun way for kids to learn about basic color theory, explore composition, hone their fine motor skills, and spark their creativity.
Green Playdough- One of our favorite school sensory activities is making playdough with preschoolers. Rolling and cutting up playdough helps with hand coordination and fine motor skills. In the process of playing, children are building fine-motor muscle control – an important pre-writing skill. Not to mention, it’s really fun to make too! Here are a few benefits of making playdough with preschoolers:
1. Creativity- The possibilities for playdough are limitless and evoke imagination. Providing children with a variety of materials to use and encouraging them to create anything they can imagine! Sensory tools promote play and allow children to slow down and have while using their creativity.
2. Fine Motor Skill Development- Playdough is perfect for strengthening the muscles in little hands. They will use these fine-motor skills later for handwriting, cutting, coloring, etc.
3. It’s Calming- Simply playing with playdough is soothing and calming, even for adults! It’s a fun way of easing tension, releasing extra energy, improving focus and concentration. It could be a great outlet for children to express their emotions or release anxiety.
4. Social Skills- Playdough is a fantastic activity for children to play within groups. It presents opportunities for teamwork, imagination, discussion, sharing and problem-solving.
Parent Reminders!
Please ask your child to take home their art work/drawings if their mailbox appears to be overflowing. You are welcome to grab a plastic bag from the bathroom, so it is easier for your child to carry.
Please try to leave toys at home. We understand it is very tempting for our friends to bring precious items from home to share with their classmates, but we think it would be best for everyone if they remain home. Sometimes toys become broken and lost, and we are unfortunately unable to keep track of all the items your child brings. We have designated days for show-n-tell, which will be the perfect opportunity for child to share a toy. We will keep you posted of show-n-tell dates. Thank you!
We Appreciate Donations!
Thank you, parents, for donating ingredients for our shamrock shakes! Our friends had a blast participating and enjoying their delicious treats. Thank you so very much!!
Additional Information & Reminders
*Happy Birthday Ethan (5th), Isabella (17th)
*Please check clipboards regularly for updates, information, or comments about what your child may have done that day. This is one of the ways we communicate with parents. Sometimes we will post accident/incident reports on the clipboard as well OR we may file them and leave a note in the comment section. If your child goes home with an unreported “ouchy” please speak to Mr. Frankie & Miss Yeretzi so we can help find out what may have happened. We apologize if this ever happens and will try our absolute best to prevent this from occurring again.
*The writing center is for parent and child! This is a wonderful opportunity for you and your child to spend 5 minutes each day tracing or writing, which will help strengthen important skills. Parents can begin teaching their child responsibility and a sense of pride in their work! It may take more time in the beginning when your child first learns to trace, but eventually they will learn to do most of their tracing/writing on their own with little to no guidance. This is what we hope to see each child accomplish before they leave for kindergarten.
*Please let us know if there is ever a concern or if you have a question regarding your child and the Sealife classroom. Mr. Frankie & Miss Yeretzi are always here for you and will try our very best to answer or fix any concerns you may have. We appreciate communication!
*Parent-teacher conferences for Seastars will be held via Microsoft Teams on Thursday, April 11, 2024, and Seahorses with be held on Friday, April 12, 2024.
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