Painting With Ice

After experimenting with ice and observing snow turn to water when warmed, water turn to ice when sufficiently cooled, and ice drip when temperatures rose, our preschoolers used science to create art!


What we did:

 

• Made Ice Sticks
• by partially filling paper cups with water and freezing them with popsicle sticks

• Donned our paint-shirts
• because it was about to get messy

• Gave the Kool-Aid packs a shake

• sprinkling colored powder across blank paper (and it sure smelled great)!

• Turned our sprinkled powder into liquid color
• by sweeping our ice-sticks excitedly across our sheets!

It's true; ice is nice!

Our finished products are fantastic, and all so very unique!  Look for your child's ice-art this Wednesday in their large envelope.

 

Feeding The Birds In January

Our Preschoolers know certain birds fly south for the winter.  They know some do not.  This past week we've discussed the different things animals do when cold weather arrives, and how finding food can often be troublesome.  Because our classroom is a peanut free environment, Mrs. Huber, Mrs. Seymour, and Mrs. Williams allowed access to their speech room which enabled us to produce the most lovely bird feeders you ever did see!  Thank you Jodie for providing us with the many rolls, we were so sad Tory wasn't able to join us!

What We Did:

This is such a simple, messy, smelly, but oh-so-fun craft that does a great deal of good after its making.  With just toilet paper rolls, peanut butter, birdseed, and string, you can make your neighbors of flight quite sing-songy!

Step by Step:

• Smear your paper rolls with peanut butter
• Roll in birdseed
• Tie a loop of string at each roll's base
• Voila; in a tree it goes!



A Trip To Grovedale Arena

When our classroom was being painted in December, I decided it was time Preschool go on its first field trip.  It wasn't difficult deciding where we'd go... right next door of course, to the Grovedale Arena!  It was short notice and we were there the entire day, but the staff and management were tremendous.  Our Preschoolers played, snacked, trekked, sang and skated there, yet the Grovedale Arena didn't charge a dime.  Thank you so much guys, we had a fabulous time!

 

Carving Pumpkins

In October we were very lucky to have been invited to Mrs. Marj McAusland's pumpkin patch for a field trip!  While we were very excited about the visit, the weather unfortunately prevented us from going.  We were quite disappointed, however, Mrs. Marj McAusland was very generous in donating two of her beautiful pumpkins to Grovedale Preschool and one to Penson's Kindergarten class!  Thank you so much Mrs. McAusland, for granting us such V.I.P. treatment.  We had a wonderful time studying the insides of our pumpkins and turning them into fabulous Jack-o-lanterns.

Here are a few other pictures of us enjoying our Halloween dress-up day...

Mrs. Lavallee helps Zoe string a spider-web for our hallway board.  Once the webs were strung, tiny black spiders were glued upon them ...P.S. Mrs. Lavallee is dressed as Ms. Frizzle!











Hockey player Mrs. Hansen sits with the class during carpet-time, everyone looks adorable in their costumes!

Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your long hair!

 

Kayden the Demon sure is cute!

 

 

The Preschool Clock, Big Board, and how to catch Fish

Our Preschool Clock is very important!  Because Mrs. Lavallee can be forgetful, the Preschool Clock helps keep her organized and on schedule.  It is the duty of the Leader to change our clock when necessary, by turning the red arrow upon the appropriate representation of our next time block. 

These are the names of our blocks:

• Carpet Time
• Table Time
• Center Time
• Snack Time

Once our Leader has set the Preschool Clock's time, it is her duty to decide which weather card should be set upon our Big Board.  As student Tory Johnson once said "It's a hard job being Leader".

Other Leader Duties include being the head of class line-ups, notifying classmates of clean-up by turning off lights and singing the clean-up song, and being Mrs. Lavallee's little helper when required.
   

Throughout the day Mrs. Lavallee likes to catch fish!  She keeps an eye out for good deeds like helping others or remembering the use of great Preschool manners.  On our board her colored fish read 'Guess Who In School Was Caught Being Cool', and it is here, upon the string which lures them, her paper fish will be, with the words of our kindnesses scribbled upon their backs!  Before dismissal Mrs. Lavallee pulls the fish from her line and reads to the class what each fish says, and then we give ourselves a pat on the fin!

Exactly Who Is Who Bird?

Who-Who is Who Bird?

I'm sure you've heard of the infamous Who Bird.  Though he doesn't speak our colorful owl has a lot to say!  At the beginning of every Preschool day Who Bird sits silent, until his wings are opened, because then it's his duty to reveal what's important to our day...

What Who Bird Tells us:

• Who Bird holds a special card upon his wing which spells the name of our day's Leader.  It really is amazing how at the beginning of the year a few students recognize their name, and then suddenly every little one can read both their own name as well as their classmates'!

• When his wings open, Who Bird becomes a silent chatter-box!  From month to month he is in charge of letting us know our
• number(s) of the month
• letter(s) of the month
• shape of the month
• and color of the month

Who Bird has quite the appetite as well as a sensitive stomach.  Able only to eat cookies which match the number(s), letter(s), shape, and color of the month, Preschoolers must make sure to choose right before feeding him.  Who Bird sometimes nips those who feed him, but only by accident!

Welcome

Welcome to the Up & Up, a space for you and yours to get the sneak-peek on what goes on after your little ones have donned their inside sneakers.  We've been so busy since September I hardly know where to begin!  But as a starter, or a refresher, browse through the pages listed at the top of this screen for a run-down on what is talked about inside the classroom from month to month. Posts on the Up & Up page will be updated on a regular basis, so keep visiting!

Ways this site may be helpful:

• In Grovedale Preschool every Wednesday is Show-and-Tell Day! And for Show-and-Tell children are encouraged to bring something which will pertain to what's up in the classroom.  If our letter of the month is Z, a good item to bring might be a Zebra!  If you're unsure as to our topics and themes, click the tab which coincides with your month and there you have it.
• Continuing a classroom discussion at home can really help to sink the day's information into your child's mind.  Use this site to familiarize yourself with what your little one is learning in the classroom, so you can spark up a conversation during supper time.
• Poem, book, and craft ideas will find themselves here too!  Visit the Up & Up with your Preschooler and pick something fun to do together at home.
• What parent doesn't love browsing through photos of their little one?  If you've signed the online consent form, photos of your child in the classroom will find their way on the Up & Up!
• Bus Cancellations mean no Preschool; Such instances will be posted here for your convenience.

Please Enjoy Your Stay!