Thank you

Thank you for taking time to come to our preschool show.

The Lucky Ducks did such a great job!

Next week we have school on Monday and Tuesday.

We will be finishing our unit on the Gingerbread Man.  Students will be voting for their favorite version as well as selecting which story they would like to hear again.

We will be playing some fun Gingerbread games - Such as gingerbread, gingerbread, Fox. (Based on the popular Duck, Duck, Goose  game- that the students learned how to play on Thursday).

We hope you have a wonderful and safe vacation with your families.  

Family Party

Thursday, December 18th

at 10:40 is our

FAMILY PARTY!!

Please join the Lucky Ducks for a few songs, a craft and a slideshow.

Gingerbread Man

Thank you!  Thank you! Thank you!  Thank you to all the families and staff who donated a pair of pajamas. We have collected the most to date!  Scholastic will donate 1 book for each pair of pajamas.  Thank you for providing so many children the chance for a snugly night with so many adorable and cozy pajamas.  Your generosity is greatly appreciated.


Wow - December is flying by. Winter break will be from December 24-January 2nd. We will return to school on January 5th! Have a wonderful winter break! 

This week we will be continuing our Gingerbread Man unit.

Family Party - Thursday, December 18th at 10:40  
                      During our family party the Lucky Ducks will perform a few songs, families will decorate a foam gingerbread man and then we will watch a slide show of pictures from the first part of our year.  Please send in a regular snack with your child, as the kids will eat snack before the family party.

Stories:
The Gingerbread Girl
The Gingerbread Kid
The Stinky Cheeseman

Small Groups
Fine Motor - Following Directions Coloring Page
Art - Finishing Family Gifts
Practicing Songs for our family party
Math - Gingerbread Patterns
Making Gingerbread Names

Whole Group 
I have do you have letter game
Acting out the Gingerbread Man

Choice Time:
Sweet Shop - Making cookies
Block Area - Building a bridge for the Gingerbread Man with straw builders
Art - Adding decorations to our gingerbread house
Writing Center - Making Holiday Cards
Math - Sorting Shapes on Gingerbread Men
Easel - Painting or Coloring Gingerbread Houses
Listening Center - Listening to Gingerbread Bear and Gingerbread Baby on Cd

The Gingerbread Exchange
The Lucky Ducks have decorated Gingerbread Men to send to participating schools across the country.  We are eagerly awaiting Gingerbread Men to be sent back to us from these schools.  As part of this process, we have been looking at a map of the USA and discussing different places that students have gone to visit.  We are expecting Gingerbread Men from - California, Texas, Florida, Ohio, Montana, Virginia, West Virginia, North Dakota, Illinois, Colorado, New Jersey and the Pine Glen Elementary School right here in Burlington.  If you have any family that lives out of state, or places that your family likes to visit, please let us know so we can add this information to our discussion.

Preschool Life Skill:
#5. When you want something from a teacher or a friend and they are doing something else, say, "excuse me" to get them to look at you.

Run, Run as fast as you Can!

We are starting our unit on the Gingerbread Man.  During this unit we will read a variety of Gingerbread Stories.  Given the variety of endings students will make comparisons from story to story about the endings and the characters in each story.

Stories Include:
The Gingerbread Man - Retold by Jim Aylesworth
Characters include: The gingerbread man, old man, old woman, butcher, a cow, sow, and a fox

The Gingerbread Man - Retold by - Karen Schmidt
Characters include: The gingerbread man, old man, old woman, little boy, farmers, bear, wolf and a fox.

These stories take place in the country side and  **Spoiler Alert** the Gingerbread Man is tricked by to fox to get closer to him and the fox eats the Gingerbread Man.

The Gingerbread Man - Retold by Catherine McCafferty
Characters include: The gingerbread man, old man, old woman, cat, snake, goose, and fox.
In this story, the fox tries to offer help carry the Gingerbread Man across the river.  That sly fox again tricks the Gingerbread man and he is eaten.

Throughout the unit, we will be reading similar story lines such as the Pancake Man and The Stinky Cheese Man.  If you have a story that follows the same idea that you would like to share we would be happy to read it in the classroom.

Small Groups:

Decorating Group Gingerbreads.  The Lucky Ducks worked together to decide gender and trimmings for their gingerbreads.

Decorating Individual Gingerbreads

Following Directions - Coloring Page - Students were told what color to use on a specific object in their picture.

Positional Book - Where is the Gingerbread?

Choice Time:

Decorating a Large Gingerbread House

Construction Zone

Sand Table

Gingerbread Puzzle

Painting Gingerbread Houses at the easel.

Listening to Gingerbread Baby on CD.

What does 'Kind' mean?
The Lucky Ducks brainstormed many ideas on what it means to be kind to others.  They all had their picture taken as Captain Kind or Princess of Kindness.  Please look for these pictures at our Family Party on December 18th.  We are encouraging all students in our classroom to be Kind to others.  Here are some of their ideas they shared today:

Share a toy (This was very popular)

Share a costume

Share a cookie

Share a hat

Share markers

Smile

Say Thank You

Say Nice Things

The Lucky Ducks will continue to build upon this skill throughout the year.