Week of Aug. 27-31

The Pieces are Coming Together

The children have settled into school and have begun working together on ideas, projects, and play.  I believe that the children do best when they have a part in planning their environment and routines, so this week we continued our discussion about how we expect to treat each other and how we can work together to do great things.  So far, I am quite impressed with the caring and conscientious manner of these young children, and it is fascinating to watch their community build and develop.  Their work ethic is pretty strong too as our big "Friday Clean-up" was accomplished in no time, all hands on deck.    

As the children grew comfortable in the classroom, they began to explore outside of their first-choice play area.  Conversations and dramatic play began to unfold with the dogs, Chocolate & Chip, being dressed in doll clothes for a party.  An elaborate zoo was made in the block area with pleads to leave it up to add to it throughout the week.  The light table was called the "Glow-up Table", and it had many customers.  Pretend photos were taken by one of the children to capture all sorts of play experiences.  Notes were written to each other once the mailboxes were discovered, and when mail was found, generous thank you's were offered to the writer. Beautiful paintings were made at the easel when the children asked to use each other's special paint jars.  

New challenges were also offered throughout the day: to plant your hand when you write instead of holding it up in the air, to add details to drawings, to use letters (JK writing of course) when we  record what we want to say, to participate in songs and movement, to attend to discussions and stories, and much more as our first days of JK got underway.  

New ideas were suggested as well - let's... learn about our pets and name them, find out when the hermit crab will come back from vacation, discover more about the temperature "when it gets to 100", make more ramps to roll things down - and we've only gotten started!

The JK P105 Puzzle Team has had a great beginning to kindergarten, and there is so much more ahead.  Thank you for taking the time to read the blog each week and involving your child in reading along and looking through the photos.  I am getting used to teaching without a partner, and so I will do my best to keep up with the photos while teaching too.  I hope both give you a window into your child's school day.  Please enjoy your long weekend with your children, and I look forward to seeing everyone back on Tuesday.  Happy Labor Day!

Mrs. Jeffers

p.s. Our colorful puzzle will be coming home with the Special Helper starting next week so your family can have some put-together fun!