Our Christmas Party and Program

 Daily Question:  Are you excited for Christmas?  
(We were sad to hear of Tanner's illness and wish him well for the holidays.) 

Christmas Party Activities:  We had fun making crafts, frosting cookies, and painting ornaments for our tree today!

We had a lot of fun frosting sugar cookies today!  Funny comments overheard: Maelo frosted his star in yellow and then added red sprinkles and evaluating his creation said, "This looks like cherries!  I love cherries!"  

Other lively conversations included the following tidbit from Harris, "But Jesus was not really born on Christmas! (I was thinking he would talk about what Lena reminded us of last week, that Jesus was probably born in the Spring around Easter time)...because there was no SNOW!" Harris reasoned.  The other children agreed.  (Apparently, only children who live in snow can celebrate Christmas!;)

Program:
Must Be Santa

Dashing Through the Snow (Jingle Bells)

Nativity Play
Away in a Manger 
We Wish You a Merry Christmas!

Play Performance (by students)--Who is Coming to Our House?
(Based on the book by Joseph Slate and Ashley Wolff)



Narrator: Miss Jessica/Miss Julie
Mouse:  Ben
Pig:  Zakai 
Lamb/goat:  Lukas
Cat:  Lena
Chick/Duck:  Maelo
Duck:  Harris
Owl: Anna
Horse: Eva
Mary and Joseph: Raegan & Harris

Student ABC Book Review with Parents and Presents

*Refreshments: Gingerbread Boy Cookies, Clementines, Sugar cookies, Vegetable Tray, Candy Canes, and Lemon Water.

Each student should have taken home their hand painted ornaments, a small present from me, and a present for Mom and Dad (photo ornament), their "Giving" drawing, and their sugar cookies!

Special Thanks to Jessica Walker and Tori Hundley for their help today.

Thank You Parents for raising such wonderful children and for your support!

(Thank you, Ben, Harris, and Lukas for your gifts to me!  That made my day.)

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!  

(See you in January 2015!)

Elves Secret Workshop

Do you like to make presents? 
Harris was very honest--his answer was simply, "NO!"


Toys: Tinker Toys, Foam Blocks, Skee-Ball
What toys can you make with these things?

Snack: Gold Fish crackers and Craisins.

Today we listened to Christmas Stories:
Whose Coming to Our House

We sang:
Must Be Santa
Jingle Bells
Away in a Manger

And practiced for our program for you, Mom and Dad.

Lizards and Reptiles

Legendary Reptiles 

Do you like lizards?

We reviewed the Alphabet (singing, writing, A-L).

Toys: Skee-Ball, Tinker Toys, Rose Petal Cottage and Dress Up Trunk.

Snacks:  Peanut Butter Crackers and dried apple slices

Science Lesson:

We looked at a book on Reptiles and talked about what we remember from the Bean Museum Field Trip.  It was fun to see the frilled lizards, the colorful lizards, many various snakes, and the blue tongued lizards. We talked about animal adaptations, defenses, camouflage, habitat, food, and what made the Reptiles in the book similar and different.  Reptiles are cold blooded.  They need warmth to help them digest their food and to move quickly.  Reptiles lay eggs (unlike Mammals who give birth).  We saw soft snake eggs and a baby snake using it's egg tooth to hatch.  We talked about scales and shells.  We spoke to how bright colors, shells, fringes and hoods, can be self-defense mechanisms.

We enjoyed reading Crictor about a lady who is sent a snake by her son studying reptiles in Africa and send her one for her birthday. Crictor is an amazing snake and becomes a loyal companion for the lady and helps save the town from a thief.

 

We learned about L the lizard who lazily licks a lemon lollipop, "el-el-el" is what she says as she licks.

Arts and Crafts: The children had fun licking lollipops (Dum Dums) while learning to follow directions, cut out the L shape, glue and paste onto a colored paper, and tape a lollipop in Lizards mouth. (I thought it was cute that many students told me they were going to give a sibling the extra lollipop).

Recess Time 

Show N' Teach

Anna: mouse book by Louise

Lena: Lamb book

Maelo: Large red letter "L"

Harris: helmet, car

Lukas: banana

Tanner: Spider-Man car 

Music: We reviewed Jingle Bells from last class and learned Away in the Manger

Lizard and Reptile Books:
Crictor by Tomi Ungerer
A Snake in the House by Faith McNulty, Ill. by Ted Rand Reptiles
Reptiles, Oxford Scientific Films by Mike Linley
Snakes (Usbourne Discovery, Internet-Linked) Rachel Firth & Jonathan Sheikh-Miller
Snakes (All Aboard Reading, Lvl. 2) by Patricia Demuth, Ill. by Judith Moffatt
Snakes by Seymour Simon
Geeko Hide and Seek: A Counting Book From Hawaii By Gill McBarnet
The Goodnight Geeko: A Bedtime Story from Hawaii by Gill McBarnet
Claire and the Friendly Snakes by Lindsey Tate, Ill. by Jonathan Franklin

Holiday Books:
Must Be Santa (Book and song)
Look Who is Coming to Our House by Joseph Slate and Ashley Wolff

Giving and Receiving Gifts

 Giving and Receiving Gifts:

What gift are you giving this year?

Toys: Littelest Pet Shoppes, Cars and City Rug, and Fisher Price Town.

Snack: Clementine slices and Organic Animal Crackers. 

We missed Ben and Maelo today and wished them well and that they return to us soon!

During snack time we discussed Why do We Celebrate Christmas?  We passed around a red crayon and whoever had it could tell us about Christmastime.

Anna: to remember Baby Jesus!  Lena: Yes! But not on Christmas.  He wasn't born then.  (Some believe that Jesus was actually born in the Springtime/April).  Lukas:    Harris: We eat candy canes and they remind us of the Shepards!   Zakai: Toys!  Tanner:  Eva:  What do you like about Christmas?  Why do we give gifts? Some students remembered the Wisemen who brought gifts to Baby Jesus.

Review of letters J and K.

We  jammed and jitterbugged with letter J (and listening to the Jelly Fishes song) and then kicking our Karate Kicks with letter K.  We glued our Kicking K's to paper for our Alphabet Book today.

Gifts/ Giving and receiving Discussion:

I had a large Gift Bag with wrapped presents inside.

We reviewed Franklin's Christmas Gift about Franklin (the turtle) who wanted to give away an old, broken toy to the chairty drive and later realized that he wanted to give a nice toy--like he likes to recieve.

Meaningful gift giving

1. Discuss why we give gifts. What’s your family’s motivation for giving?
2. Talk with your child about the people they would like to add to their gift list. What does each person mean to your child and your family? This is also a great time to talk about people you may not know who would benefit from a gift: the child of an inmate, a family at a homeless shelter, an individual in an assisted living center.
3. Decide together the gifts your child will make or select for each recipient. What does each person need? For example, last time you visited grandma did she mention her toaster was broken? If you can’t think of needs, discuss what each person may want: activities, hobbies, favorite food, clothing, toys.
4. Go shopping together. Preface the trip with an explanation of your intent. For example, “We are not shopping for us today; we’re looking for gifts for your friend and your sister.” This is also a time to shop for supplies if you’re making gifts.
5. Wrap the gifts together. If you have the time and energy, consider making your own wrapping paper, cards or nametags. Encourage your child to sign their name on the tag or card.
6. Deliver gifts in person or to the mail center. For gifts traveling long distances, discuss how the packages might travel to their destination: truck, plane, ship?

Grateful gift receiving

1. Discuss needs versus wants. Help your child make a list and prioritize what they would like the most. Some families are using the want, need, wear, read gifts rule. Your child’s list could include these categories. This article from The Frugal Girl offers tips for parents wishing to reign in gift expectations.
2. When opening gifts, encourage your child to stop long enough to read the nametag or card. Ask, “Who gave that gift to you?”
3. Consider taking photos or video of your child opening gifts. This may help your child recognize the importance of the moment (and can be shared with loved ones – especially those who live far away).
4. Discuss the gift and gift giver. For example: “Do you think Grandpa gave you the horse toy because he remembered you liked the horses during our trip to the farm last year?”
5. Send thank you cards. Your preschooler most likely won’t write the message, but that doesn’t mean they can’t share their thanks. Ask them to dictate their messages. Encourage them to sign their own name. In some instances, phone calls or emails can serve as a thank you, just be sure to include your child in the process.

Little Drummer Boy: Lyrics

Come they told me, pa rum pum pum pum
A new born King to see, pa rum pum pum pum
Our finest gifts we bring, pa rum pum pum pum
To lay before the King, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,

So to honor Him, pa rum pum pum pum,
When we come.

Little Baby, pa rum pum pum pum
I am a poor boy too, pa rum pum pum pum
I have no gift to bring, pa rum pum pum pum
That's fit to give the King, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,

Shall I play for you, pa rum pum pum pum,
On my drum?

Mary nodded, pa rum pum pum pum
The ox and lamb kept time, pa rum pum pum pum
I played my drum for Him, pa rum pum pum pum
I played my best for Him, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,

Then He smiled at me, pa rum pum pum pum
Me and my drum.

 

What gifts can we give?

Do they have to come from a store?

Do they have to cost money?

Songs:

Jingle Bells

The Little Drummer Boy 

Books:

Franklin's Christmas Gift (Reviewed) by Paulette Bourgeois and Brenda Clark.

*Angel Pig & The Hidden Christmas  by Jan Waldron/David McPhail

*Giving by Shirley Hughes

One Baby Jesus by Patricia Pingry and Wendy Edelson.

Froggy's Best Christmas by Jonathan London.

Where should my preschooler be?

How can I help my preschooler at home?

READ every day.  Let your child see you reading...the paper, magazines, a book, recipies, etc.  Play games--in the car, at home, at the store.  Identify colors, numbers, words, concepts.  Play.  Create--use scissors, markers, pencils, found objects around the house.

Jamming with Sea Creatures

Jamming With Sea Animals 

Daily Question: Do you like jelly fish?

Snacks: Grapes, pretzels and cheese cubes on sea creatures table cloth.

Toys: DiscoverABSeas Game, Sea Creature Stencils, Cranium Under the Sea Memory Game, Play Doh.

Songs: We had fun dancing like J the Jellyfish doing the Jitterbug at the Jamboree!

Eva and Lukas are sharks!  (With mouths wide open to bite!)

Janeen Brady's 
I Wish I Were a Fish
A Seahorse Merry-Go-Round.
 

We learned about J the jellyfish who liked to jiggle her arms and say "j-j-j" (jah, jah, jah) as she danced at the Jellyfish Jamboree in June. 

Outdoor Recess Fun:  "This is a ship and we are sailing the high seas!" 

Seasonal Books:
Fraklin's Christmas Gift by Paulette Bourgeois and Brenda Clark

Sea Animal Books:
Hooray for Fish! Lucy Cousins(Colors, textures, patterns, and opposites)

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss

Wish for a Fish; All About Sea Creatures by Bonnie Worth and Aristides Ruiz

Down at the Bottom of the Deep Dark Sea* by Rebecca C. Jones, ill. by Virgina Wright-Frierson

(*Book deals with a boys fear of water)

Look Inside the Ocean (A Poke & Look Learning Book)

Gilbert the Great by Jane Clarke and Charles Fuge (audio CD)

Let's Go Swimming with Mr. Sillypants by M. K. Brown

What's Up, What's Down? by Lola M. Schaefer, Ill. by Barbara Bash

The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Phister

Paper Craft Activity: We began a Christmas Counting Chain Craft that we will work on more and send home on Thursday.  We practiced cutting out paper bells with scissors.  Parents, please practice cutting skills with your preschoolers.  It strengthens their hand-eye coordination and is a prerequisite skill.