Peek at Our Week: Dinosaurs

This week we are learning about dinosaurs.  This unit seems to be one of children's favorites for both boys and girls.  They have inspired me to make lots of fun new activities and learning games for our dino unit.  We also began our new reading curriculum this week called Fundations.  It is based on the Wilson Reading Program and the entire IPS (grades Preschool to 2 this year) will be moving to this program.  Baby Echo is helping us learn our letters, key words, and letter sounds.  This kids loved Baby Echo today and he fits in nicely with our OWL themed classroom. 

Have a difficult time getting your little one to eat healthy?  Today, Monday, we made dinosaur dip and veggies for snack.  Our dino dip was sour cream with a packet of Hidden Valley ranch mix and for an extra touch add some green food coloring.  By making healthy food fun your little one maybe more likely to give it a try.  Almost all of the kids ate carrots, cucumbers, or green peppers so they could dip it in the dino dip.

Tuesday is our centers day.  Mrs. Ticherich and Mrs. Jaronowski will be our classroom helpers.  Thank you!  Our centers this week will be sorting or patterns (depending on child's ability), letter Dd formation with picture vocabulary, and Mrs. Hall's language activity. 

Other activities this week will include finger painting a dinosaur, clothes pin number activity (great way to sneak in some fine motor), dinosaur memory match, size sort & sequence.  It is doing to be a DINO-MYTE week!

Don't forget Family Fun Friday this Friday at Patterson's Fruit Farm.  You can arrive earlier if you prefer and stay as late as you want, but if you plan to go on the TOUR with our group please meet at the entrance gate to the FUN FEST area at 11:55.  We do not need to be strict about the RSVP...so you can come even if you didn't RSVP or bring extras!  The weather looks like it will be a perfect day for a trip to the orchard & outdoor play!

Check out this great feature for iPad users!

Do you have an iPad?  Does your child open apps that they are not suppose to?  Do you wish there was an easy way to "lock" the iPad?  Guided Access can help you control what your child is playing and what features of an app they can use.  Watch the video below to see how.  It is quick, simple, and convenient!

Click here to view a tutorial on setting up and using Guided Access feature on the iPad.

Classroom Pictures Uploaded

Preschool is loads of fun but it is also lots of work and never enough time!  I love doing "fun" things like taking pictures and writing this blog to share with our families, but sometimes it gets pushed to the side as other things are a priority.  Thank you for your patience and I hope to update pictures and the blog more frequently now that I am finally caught up (for the moment!).  :)

At last....pictures are uploaded and available to view, download, print, or share.   You can view them by clicking here.  Or go to the PICTURE tab at the top of the website and then select the Picture Album title that you would like to see.  (Note: right now there is only September.) 

Parent Helpers Still Needed

Tuesday's Parent Volunteers

We are still looking for more volunteers for the up coming weeks/months.  If you would like to volunteer, please send a note/email indicating the date.  Please see the CALENDAR tab on our website to see what dates are available. Remember to look if an AM or PM parent has signed up.  Feel free to volunteer as frequently as 2 times per month.  Everyone has had a chance to sign up so grab any dates you would like!

You are welcome to join is for the entire class or if you can only make it a short time, these are the times that volunteers are needed on Tuesdays for our "Center/Group" activities.  

AM:  9:30-10:30

PM:  1:30-2:30

Thank you for your help! 

COLOR WEEKS

The next two weeks we will be learning about colors.  
Please have your child wear something with our "color of the day".

Week of September 9th:

Monday: BROWN

Tuesday:  PURPLE

Wednesday:  ORANGE

Thrusday:  BLUE

Week of September 16th:  

Monday:  RED

Tuesday:  YELLOW

Wednesday:  GREEN 

Thrusday:  PINK

*  Please note every WEDNESDAY is Character Counts Day at the Primary School.  Our class color is ORANGE.  Please have your child wear their Character Counts shirt or an ORANGE shirt every Wednesday.

*  I have to wait for all roster/picture permission forms to be turned in before I can post pictures on the website.  Please complete and return the packet that you received at Open House as soon as possible.  Most have done so just waiting for the last few to come in.

PRESCHOOL'S A HOOT!

Welcome Back to School!   We have lots of OWL-STARS who did great on their first day! I hope to post some pictures by the end of  the week.  I have updated the website and added a CALENDAR feature....check it out.  Please let me know if you have any questions.  ~Mrs. Kieser