It's been a whirlwind since 2012 began! Talking about a new year, learning about Martin Luther King Jr. and deciding how we can make the world a better place for everyone, having a special day at school with our grandparents and getting ready for valentines had to fit in with the author studies in which the Junior Kindergartners engaged and the study of transportation that went on in Alpha!
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| Balloons provided lots of fun during exploring. Some children practiced batting the balloons between partners, trying to keep them off the floor while others used baskets for tossing the balloons into the air and catching them again -- it's not as easy as it sounds! |
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| Creating railroads with train set is a great exercise in collaboration and cooperation. The train was left on the carpet so the children could return to add to it again and again. |
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| Creating bridges was an exercise in engineering and deciding who was going to use which train cars involved lots of negotiation! |
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| Building bridges provided more exercises in engineering, problem solving and critical thinking as well as teamwork. |
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| Another exercise in engineering and creative thinking was designing boats that would float. Some of the students got quite creative, creating elaborate vessels that even towed dinghies! |
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| Everyone started with a circle and a rectangle but it was all imagination from there and each child ended up with a truly unique collage self portrait! |
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| Individuality is important! |
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| Some of our paintings are worthy of framing for exhibition. |
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| Smiles abound at the art center where we encourage the children to let their imaginations fly. |
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| Translucent blocks and the light table allow for experimentation in architecture and light at the same time. |
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| The children use geoboards to make shapes, letters, pictures and more. Sometimes they work individually while at other times they work collaboratively. |
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| Worms are really interesting creatures to observe. Now they've been relocated to the garden where they will enrich the soil and help our plants grow. |
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| January was also time for the Chinese New Year in Mrs. Jotch's class where they listened to stories, ate rice, and paraded around the school with the dragon fans they made wishing everyone a "Gung Hay Fat Choy" |
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| Some of us had lots of special guests on Grandparents Day. It was a very special day for both generations! |
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| The children were very excited to show off their classrooms, exporatorium and other favorite places on campus. |
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| The children were so thrilled when they saw the fourth grade program that they worked together to write their special older friends a note telling them what a great show it was. |
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| Valentines Day is approaching and candy hearts are perfect for graphing. Graphing helps the children sort and then compare group size to see which has more, less or the same number. |
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| Hearts are also great dfor sorting according to size, small, medium and large. | |
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I wish all of you a happy weekend, Valentines Day and Presidents Day weekend. I also promise to be a better blogger and keep you more up-to-date on all the exciting learning that is happening in the Shorecrest Early Childhood Center!
