On to October in Enrichment
Good afternoon families,
It’s hard to believe it’s already October! September flew by and we are looking forward to having lots of fun in our new month. Our theme for most of our activities this month will be based on the season of autumn/fall. We had our first enrichment guest visit this week: Sensei Michael from Lotus Self Defense Studios came to teach us karate! The kiddos had a BLAST! Sensei teaches the children self-regulation, respect, and how to have FUN!
This week at MORNING MEETING we read Hello Autumn by Shelley Rotner and Spookley the Square Pumpkin by Joe Troiano. We also played a game. Students sorted pictures of summer and fall-related things into the correct categories. The children really enjoy participating in our interactive, easel games. It is also a great time for them to practice waiting for their turn and praising their peers after each child takes his/her turn.
Here is what’s happening in CENTERS!
Block Play: This center is stocked with wooden blocks, magnatiles, little wooden people and a wooden castle. The block area was a big hit this week!
Math Table: Students went on a leaf hunt in the classroom! They used brown, green, red, orange, and yellow viewing frames while searching for the matching colored leaf.
Discover Center: At the Pumpkin Exploration Station, the students used their senses of touch and sight to sort small pumpkins and gourds into white/orange and bumpy/smooth categories. They also had the opportunity to look at a pumpkin life-cycle book and color a life-cycle coloring page.
Literacy Center: This center has an environmental print matching game. Environmental print includes the letters and words that we see all around us (stop signs, labels in the grocery store, store signs, labels on toy packaging, etc. Exploring environmental print is a meaningful introduction to letters and words. Encourage your child to “read” signs and labels when you are at home and running errands.
Writing Table: Using dry-erase markers to draw faces and designs on sugar pumpkins.
Art: We made leaf-resist paintings. First, we taped wooden leaf cut-outs onto the paper. Then the children used paint brushes to paint the paper. We peeled the wooden leaves off and put them on the drying rack. They came out beautiful! We also made Spookley pumpkins and did some coloring.
Easel: Fine motor practice this week with dot sticker pumpkins. The boys and girls used their “pinchy” fingers to peel and stick orange and black dot stickers onto a pumpkin outline.
Sensory Table: We have created a split-pea pumpkin patch. Students had a lot of fun scooping and pouring the peas and mini pumpkins. We are learning to keep the split-peas IN the table. This skill is a work in progress so don’t be surprised if you find some split-peas hiding in your child’s shoe!
Playdough: Last week, the children voted that the playdough color this month would be GREEN. We also added pumpkin cookie cutters, google eyes, and pumpkin gems to this center.
Pretend Center- This center has been turned into a Baby Care Center. The kiddos had lots of fun feeding, bathing, and snuggling with the baby dolls. I think we have some future babysitters in our class!
Please reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns. Have a great weekend! There is NO SCHOOL on Monday due to the holiday. Looking forward to seeing everyone on Tuesday morning!
Your teachers,
Brenda Daday & Christina Renoni
