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.

Important Dates

Here are some important dates to keep in mind

December 4th - Conferences for parents only please.

December 18th - Family Party at 10:40

December 24th through January 2nd - Winter Vacation
Return to school on January 5th.


Activities this week:
Rug:  Farms and Farm animals
Sensory Table:  Finding and sorting shapes by color in tinsel
Easel - Painting turkeys and pinatas
Dramatic Play - Grocery Store
Magna Doodles

Small Groups:
Making a group pizza 
Counting milk containers
Counting coins
Making the first letter of our names with colored pasta

Stories:
Hooray a Pinata
Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza
Dandelion

Cold Weather

Brrr!  It’s Cold Outside

Fall has been chilly and winter is almost here!  The Lucky Ducks will be going outside when the weather is 25 degrees or warmer.  Please send your child to school everyday with clothes that will keep them warm when we go outside, such as:

*gloves/mittens

*hats

*winter boots (when there is snow on the ground).

*snow pants (when there is snow on the ground).

*warm winter coat

Our outside time is at 10:00.  We will be making the determination at that time if we will be going out.  We are outside for 20 minutes each day.

If your child wears boots to school please send in a pair of sneakers/shoes for your child to wear.  Boots are very cumbersome for children to play in.

Please be sure all of your child’s belongings are labeled.  At times, items will get mixed up.  Kindly return them the next day so we can get them back to the rightful owner.  Likewise, if something is misplaced, let us know so we can be on the look out for the item.

If you have any questions please contact me.  

Scholastic Pajama Drive

The Great Bedtime Story

Pajama Drive

Dear Parents,

It’s time for the annual Scholastic Reading Club Great Bedtime Story Pajama Drive benefiting

Pajama Program, a nonprofit organization that provides new pajamas and books to children in

need—especially those living in group homes, shelters, foster care, and orphanages.

Since 2009, caring classrooms across the country have risen to the challenge and donated nearly 250,000 pairs of new pajamas. The Scholastic Reading Club has more than matched those numbers with nearly 600,000 new books donated to Pajama Program.

Our class wants to be a part of this drive so that we can help make a better bedtime for these children. Together we can help the Great Bedtime Story Pajama Drive reach even more kids with pj’s and books.

If you and your child are able to participate, please have your child bring in a new pair of

pajamas to school by December 5, 2014   The Lucky Ducks will be collecting the pajamas to be donated.

Here are some simple guidelines for the pajamas:

• Pajamas must be brand-new.
• Pajamas in all sizes are needed—from newborn to adult.
• Pajamas must be in complete sets or nightgowns.
• Pajamas in children’s sizes must be manufactured as pajamas—this ensures that they are flame-retardant and safe.

Thank you for helping us share the gift of a good night’s sleep and a sweet bedtime story.

Katie Roofe

Lucky Ducks

PS: You can find out more about the drive and the program at: scholastic.com/pjdrive

Friends

OWL Unit 2 Weeks 2

This week we will begin our unit on Friendship. We will talk about how to be a good friend, and ways to resolve conflicts with friends. Through the books in this unit, children will hear about the importance of being who you are, helping friends, enjoying special times together, and getting along. In addition to listening to stories, children will begin working on identifying rhyming words and beginning sounds. 

Theme Concepts:

• A friend is someone that we like and spend time with
• We can have more that one good friend
• Friends like to do things together
• Friends share and help one another
• Friends may get mad at each other, but usually friends can work out their problems
• We can make new friends and keep our old ones too

Week of November 10-14th

Reminders:

BOOK BACKPACKS ARE DUE BACK WEDNESDAY!

(There is no school on Monday November 10th or Tuesday November 11th!)

Books for the week:

The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza by: Philomen Sturges

A Letter To Amy by: Ezra Jack Keats

Dandelion by Don Freeman

Small Groups:

1. Connecting Lines (Drawing vertical and horizontal lines)

2. Pizza Matching - Adding the correct number of slices
3. Uppercase Memory
4. Numeral Matching

Choice time:

Dramatic Play - Lucky Ducks will set up a grocery store. They will make signs, stock shelves and get the store ready to be opened next week.
Easel: Color a pizza picture

Library Area: Books about friendship

Writing Table: Writing to Friends
Literacy - Letter Matching Wheels
Art - Decorating Turkeys
Art - Drawing with chalk

Preschool Life Skill 3 - When a teacher gives you directions you do them right away.

Social Thinking: Following the Group Plan

Friends

OWL Unit 2 Weeks 1&2

This week we will begin our unit on Friendship. We will talk about how to be a good friend, and ways to resolve conflicts with friends. Through the books in this unit, children will hear about the importance of being who you are, helping friends, enjoying special times together, and getting along. In addition to listening to stories, children will begin working on identifying rhyming words and beginning sounds. 

Theme Concepts:

• A friend is someone that we like and spend time with
• We can have more that one good friend
• Friends like to do things together
• Friends share and help one another
• Friends may get mad at each other, but usually friends can work out their problems
• We can make new friends and keep our old ones too

Week of November 3-7th

Reminders:

BOOK BACKPACKS ARE DUE BACK WEDNESDAY!

(There is no school on Tuesday November 4th!)

Books for the week:

The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza by: Philomen Sturges

A Letter To Amy by: Ezra Jack Keats

Small Groups:

1. Friendship Bracelets

2. Journal Page - I like to play with ....
3. Counting manipulatives

4.  Fine Motor: Making Pizza

Choice time:

Easel: Color a pizza picture

Library Area: Books about friendship

Writing Table: Writing to Friends

Dramatic Play: Pizza Shop

Sand Table: Marble Mazes
Rug Toy: Trucks

Preschool Life Skill 3 - When a teacher gives you directions you do them right away.

Social Thinking: Following the Group Plan