Giraffes Can't Dance....Or Can They?

The children have been working hard learning their lines, dances, and songs for our Pre-Primary Play, "Giraffes Can't Dance".  We have started rehearsing in Clifton to help the children get used to performing on the larger stage.  They are all doing a great job.  Remember our performance is on Friday, May 13th at 8:30 a.m. in Clifton with a cast party to follow.  If you are unable to attend the performance, you are welcome to come to the dress rehearsal on Thursday, May 12th at 8:30 a.m. Please check your email for important information about costumes!

                                                                        Planting and Growing 

The children have been busy learning about plants and how they grow.  Our own garden outside has really taken off and the children are excited to see how much our lettuces have grown.  Our bean and radish plants have sprouted, and we will soon see parsley.  In the classroom we filled a sensory table with dirt and are growing buckwheat and fennel.  

We have been learning the parts of the plant, and how each part helps the plant grow.  We did an experiment to show how water travels up the roots to the stem of the plant.  The children dipped the end of a paper towel in colored water and watched how it absorbed the water all the way to the top.  The children learned that water likes to "stick" to itself and that is what helps the water move up the paper towel.  

Life Skills - Connected and Respected

In Life Skills we have been talking about interrupting.  Sometimes it can be really hard to wait your turn to talk!  Lori read the book, My Mouth Is a Volcano and talked about how we can hold our thoughts until it is our turn.  We talked about how interrupting someone is like stepping on their ideas and thoughts.  It's not always easy to wait, but we can try!

Courage

Our spiritual theme this month is courage.  We read the book Sheila Rae the Brave  and the children shared stories of times they felt courageous.  Erin shared about the time she found her courage at the Adventure Park.  Her good friend Mary Anne helped her try the ropes course for the first time.  We learned that having courage doesn't mean that you aren't afraid.  Having courage means pushing through the fear and trying your best. The children all drew pictures of a time they had courage when trying something new.

Curriculum Highlights

Language Arts  - Reading Horizons - letter sounds /c/ and /k/, the rule for spelling with c and k (ask us!), Most Common Words - his, are, as, with, Writing Workshop - stretching small moments, sequencing events within a story, adding describing words to stories

Math - Finishing addition unit - creating multiple addition sentences for the same sum, communicative property of addition, working numbers 11-15, representing larger quantities, seeing numbers in the teens as 10 plus another number.

Science -  Planting and Growing - tending our outside garden, growing buckwheat in the classroom, learning about the parts of plants, labeling plant pictures, experiment to show how water travels up the roots, looking at seeds.

Social Studies  - Weekly Our Friends, first grade play "The Whingdingdilly", special playground time with Senior Buddies, stewardship with third grade buddies