Halloween happenings and more

It's hard to believe that it's November and this month promises to be as busy as October was. The last few weeks were full of fun and learning. Halloween provided an opportunity for math and  literacy activites.

Alpha learned a lot about spiders including that they have eight legs and lots of eyes. Using other materials with play dough gave the children the opportunity to make spider models and to practice counting to 8 using one-to-one correspondence.

Some children preferred to use their dough and props to make unique creations. We always encourage imagination and creativity!

These students dictated stories about Jack-O-Lanterns and drew pictures to go with their stories. It wass delightful to read the stories as each was totally original.

We didn't eat all this candy. The children used it instead for sorting and graphing.

Making pumpkin muffins involves reading the recipe and measuring the ingredients. It also provided a nutritious snack! 

Besides the seasonally themed activities, there was lots more going on---

These boys used the wood pieces from our Handwriting Without Tears program to create the tallest Mat Man yet! The big and little lines and curves are also used to form the upper case letters.

We have some very prolific painters and they are using their paint and brushes with more and more purpose, creating unique and exciting works of art.

The more interesting materials and tools we add to the art center, the busier it becomes. Here the teacher explains how to use a paper crimper. This tool creates interesting paper while strengthening finger muscles.

It takes dexterity and coordination to fashion chains using paper and tape. The children used seasonal colors to create chains to decorate their classroom.

Large pattern blocks are perfect for creating original spatial patterns.

A trip to First Fruits Hydroponic Farm taught us a whole new way to grow produce. The children made a card to thank the people there who provided the children and teachers with such a worthwhile experience.

Our new iPads are generating a lot of excitement and providing great opportunities to learn in every area of the curriculum.

The culmination of the week was  our annual Halloween parade and Fall Festival. Our students stood on the sidelines to watch the older students pass in their costumes and then joined the parade.