September 26th

This week we will begin our preschool curriculum. The curriculum we are using this year is Opening the World of Learning (OWL). The first unit is FAMILY. In this unit, students will be exploring and talking about families and the many different ways family members relate to and help one another.

Theme Concepts:

• Family members have role names (mother, father, sister, brother, etc)
• Some family members live together, some live in other places but are still family members.
• Grown-ups in a family take care of children. Younger children need more care. Older children can help take care of younger brothers and sisters.
• Families do things together that are fun.

Our Stories for this week include: 
Oonga Boonga - by Frieda Wishinksy
Peter's Chair - Ezra Jack Keats

Handwriting -Working on our coloring book of colors

Small Groups - 

Journal Page
Coloring our House
Adding our families to our house

Choice Time:  
Dramatic Play - Kitchen
Rug - Doll Houses
Art - Open exploration
Sensory - Water Table
Math Center - matching to numerals
Literacy Center - Making words with letter tiles
Easel - Painting Peter's Chair

Music
Head Shoulders, Mat Man, Open Shut Them

What's Coming Up

Preschool Homework - For our first unit we will be asking for 3-5 pictures of their family from each child.  We will be using them to create a project about family in our classroom.  More information will be coming out soon.

Back to School Night - We will have our back to school night on Tuesday, October 18th from 6:30-7:30.  I will give an overview of our classroom curriculum and expectations then parents are welcome to explore the classroom.  This night is for parents only please.


As always please contact me with any questions or concerns, via email, note or phone call.  I look forward to getting to know your children and the great year ahead.

We had a great first week of school!   Pictures will be posted to our Lucky Duck blog this week.  In order to view the pictures, there are a few steps to follow.  First I will send out an email inviting you to view the pictures.  You will need to accept this invitation with your email then log into the Lucky Ducks Picture blog and sign in with the same email.  The intention is to allow only Lucky Duck families to view the pictures and is not open to everyone.  These emails will be coming out this week.

September 19, 2016
Our Stories for this week include: 
Preschool Day Hooray
D.W.'s Guide to Preschool

Handwriting - We will be learning about Mat Man.  Students help build Mat Man with wooden pieces as we sign the Mat Man song.  Students are also given the chance to draw Mat Man while listening to the song as well.

Small Groups - We are continuing the year with "All about me"
Apple Counting
Matching letters in our name
Rolling a dice and adding stickers to a grid.
Matching colors with our ducks in a pond

Choice Time:  
Dramatic Play - Kitchen
Rug - Potato Heads
Art -  Open exploration
Sensory - Sand and construction trucks
Math Center - putting apples on trees
Literacy Center - Magna Doodles
Blocks - colored cardboard blocks

Music
Head Shoulders, Mat Man

What's Coming Up
Preschool Homework - For our first unit we will be asking for 3-5 pictures of their family from each child.  We will be using them to create a project about family in our classroom.  More information will be coming out soon.

Back to School Night - We will have our back to school night on Tuesday, October 18th from 6:30-7:30.  I will give an overview of our classroom curriculum and expectations then parents are welcome to explore the classroom.  This night is for parents only please.


As always please contact me with any questions or concerns, via email, note or phone call.  I look forward to getting to know your children and the great year ahead.

First Day of School!

Thank you for coming to our open house.  It was great to meet so many new friends.

As we start the year, we will be taking some time to learn about classroom expectations and routines while we get to know each other.  Some of the activities will include our morning greeting song - Hello ____. The children have the choice to bounce on or roll a big ball while we sing.

Please remember to send in an extra set of clothes in a ziplock style bag that we may keep here at school.  Please label the clothing and bag.

Preschool Life Skills are an important component of our preschool curriculum.  A complete list can be found at the top of this page.  Our first life skill is Response to Name.  When a teacher calls your name, you stop, look and say 'yes'.

Our curriculum Opening the World of Learning (OWL) - develops an understanding of literacy through reading a variety of stories multiple times throughout the unit.  This provides for students to have a deeper understanding of the story, supports understanding vocabulary as well as retelling familiar stories.

Our Stories for this week include:
Pete the Cat's Rockin In My School Shoes
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

Handwriting - We will be exploring a variety of materials during this time to strengthen our hands to get ready to write properly.  Students will progress as they are developmentally ready for this task.  We are starting this week with exploring playdough -squeezing, pulling, and pushing the dough.

Small Groups - We are starting the year with "All about me"
Journal Page about School
Decorating Birthday Crowns
Decorating the first letter of their name

Choice Time:  Students will be taught how to play in each center.
Dramatic Play - Kitchen
Puzzles
Art-  Hand Prints
Rug - Trains
Sensory - Sand
Math Center - number boards
Literacy Center - Magna Doodles


Music
We incorporate music throughout our day as a motor break or transition.  We also set aside some time at the end of the day to dance and sing as well.  Children are typically given the choice of songs to sing.  This week our songs will include Bingo, Wheels on the Bus and 5 Little Ducks


As always please contact me with any questions or concerns, via email, note or phone call.  I look forward to getting to know your children and the great year ahead.